Paclitaxel Treatment Options in Minnesota

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether cisplatin, etoposide, and paclitaxel are more effective than cisplatin and etoposide alone in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of cisplatin plus etoposide with or without paclitaxel in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving chemotherapy before combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy is more effective than combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy alone in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy with radiation therapy and chemotherapy alone in treating patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be removed during surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining more than one drug and giving them before and with radiation therapy may be an effective treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Computer systems that allow doctors to create a 3-dimensional picture of the tumor to plan treatment may result in more effective radiation therapy. It is not yet known which chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy regimen is more effective in treating non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of different combination chemotherapy regimens and 3-dimensional radiation therapy in treating patients who have unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase III trial to study the effectiveness of paclitaxel in treating older patients who have solid tumors. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of topotecan and paclitaxel in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known if combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without radiation therapy for stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been surgically removed. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Colony-stimulating factors such as filgrastim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of topotecan, paclitaxel, and filgrastim in treating patients who have previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy before, during, and after radiation therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as ifosfamide, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and vinblastine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether ifosfamide and cisplatin are more effective when combined with paclitaxel or vinblastine in treating germ cell tumors. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin to see how well they work compared to vinblastine, ifosfamide, and cisplatin in treating men with progressive or recurrent metastatic germ cell tumors. Read Less