Paclitaxel Treatment Options in New York

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining monoclonal antibody therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of two different regimens of trastuzumab plus paclitaxel in treating women who have metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER2. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Studying samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients may help doctors understand how well these drugs can be carried to the brain. PURPOSE: More definitive knowledge of the penetration of chemotherapeutic and other agents into the brain is necessary for the future rational design of drug and drug regimens that target brain metastases. This clinical trial is studying how well capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, lapatinib, paclitaxel, trastuzumab, or vinorelbine penetrates brain tumors. 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: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy with and without fluorouracil in treating patients who have cancer of the esophagus or stomach. 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 I trial to study the effectiveness of combining 3-AP, cisplatin, and paclitaxel in treating patients who have advanced or metastatic cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as gemcitabine, carboplatin, and paclitaxel 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 which chemotherapy regimen is more effective in treating non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of different combination chemotherapy regimens in treating patients who have stage IIIB, stage IV, or recurrent 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. Combining more than one drug or combining chemotherapy with surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel and cisplatin with or without surgery in treating patients with stage III ovarian epithelial cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether ifosfamide alone is more effective than ifosfamide plus paclitaxel in treating patients with cancer of the uterus. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of ifosfamide with or without paclitaxel in treating patients with advanced, refractory, or recurrent cancer of the uterus. 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 I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients with previously untreated stage III or stage IV ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin and cisplatin with or without paclitaxel and G-CSF in treating patients who have stage III, stage IV, or recurrent endometrial cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, ifosfamide, and paclitaxel, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug and giving drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with metastatic urinary tract cancer that cannot be treated with surgery. 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 I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic or locally advanced bladder 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: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of giving gemcitabine, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel together with carboplatin in treating patients with advanced bladder or kidney cancer and impaired kidney function. Read Less