Paclitaxel Treatment Options in Montana

This randomized phase III trial is studying glutathione to see how well it works in preventing peripheral neuropathy caused by paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and/or primary peritoneal cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemoprotective drugs, such as glutathione, may help prevent peripheral neuropathy caused by paclitaxel and carboplatin. It is not yet known whether glutathione is more effective than a placebo in preventing peripheral neuropathy. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining gemcitabine and paclitaxel in treating patients who have advanced or recurrent cancer of the urinary tract. Read Less

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether breast cancer tumors respond (as measured by pathologic complete response: the absence of microscopic evidence of invasive tumor cells in the breast) to combined chemotherapy of AC(doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) followed by paclitaxel plus trastuzumab or lapatinib or both given before surgery to patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Trastuzumab will also be given to all patients after surgery. The study will also evaluate the toxic effects of the chemotherapy combination, including effects on the heart, and will determine survival and progression-free survival 5 years after treatment. Also, the study will look at whether there are gene expression profiles in the tumor tissue that can predict pathologic complete response. 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and filgrastim combined with radiation therapy in treating patients who have locally recurrent head and neck cancer and have received previous treatment with radiation therapy. 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 with radiation therapy following surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have undergone surgery for stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies carboplatin, paclitaxel, and sorafenib tosylate to see how well they work compared to carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sorafenib tosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether giving carboplatin and paclitaxel together with sorafenib tosylate is more effective than carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating melanoma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Amifostine may be an effective treatment for the toxic side effects caused by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy and radiation therapy are more effective with or without amifostine for non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of amifostine in treating patients who have stage II or stage III non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be surgically removed and who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether giving paclitaxel for a shorter period of time is as effective as a standard course of treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of paclitaxel given for 3 months with that of paclitaxel given for 12 months in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. Read Less

Primary Objectives: o Run-in Phase: Determine a dose of EP-100 at which the initial benefit/risk of paclitaxel combined with EP-100 can be studied. o Randomized Phase: Compare the anti-tumor effects of EP-100 combined with weekly paclitaxel versus paclitaxel alone in patients with ovarian cancer. Secondary Objectives: o Randomized Phase: Quantify any significant changes in the safety profile of weekly paclitaxel alone compared to the doublet combination of paclitaxel with EP-100. o Determine an initial benefit/risk profile for this new drug combination. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial is studying carboplatin, paclitaxel, radiation therapy, and thalidomide to see how well they work compared to carboplatin, paclitaxel, and radiation therapy alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Thalidomide may stop the growth of non-small cell lung cancer by stopping blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known if combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy is more effective with or without thalidomide. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus paclitaxel in treating patients who have nonmetastatic, unresectable pancreatic cancer. Read Less

This study is testing the investigational drug, cetuximab, in combination with different chemotherapy drugs for lung cancer. The aim of the study is to determine which of the drug combinations looks most promising and should be tested further. The study will also look at what side effects may occur. Read Less