Paclitaxel Treatment Options in Vermont

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding chemotherapy to immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) versus immunotherapy alone in treating patients with stage IIIB-IV lung cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving pembrolizumab and chemotherapy may help stabilize lung cancer. Read Less

This phase II/III trial studies the usefulness of treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab in addition to standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who are undergoing surgery. Immunotherapy with antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may remove the brake on the body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may reduce the tumor size and the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed during surgery. A combined treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy might be more effective in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who are undergoing surgery. Read Less

This phase III trial studies how well the combination of pembrolizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin works compared with paclitaxel and carboplatin alone in treating patients with endometrial cancer that is stage III or IV, or has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Paclitaxel and carboplatin are chemotherapy drugs used as part of the usual treatment approach for this type of cancer. This study aims to assess if adding immunotherapy to these drugs is better or worse than the usual approach for treatment of this cancer. Read Less

This ALCHEMIST trial studies genetic testing in screening patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been or will be removed by surgery. Studying the genes in a patient's tumor cells may help doctors select the best treatment for patients that have certain genetic changes. Read Less

This phase III trial studies how well an antibody (durvalumab) with chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) works in treating patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as durvalumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. This study is being done to see if adding durvalumab to standard chemoradiation followed by additional durvalumab can extend patients life and/or prevent the tumor from coming back compared to the usual approach of chemoradiation alone followed by durvalumab. Read Less

This phase III ALCHEMIST trial tests the addition of pembrolizumab to usual chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, pemetrexed, carboplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving pembrolizumab with usual chemotherapy may help increase survival times in patients with stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

This trial studies how well paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab work in eliminating further chemotherapy after surgery in patients with HER2-positive stage II-IIIa breast cancer who have no cancer remaining at surgery (either in the breast or underarm lymph nodes) after pre-operative chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Trastuzumab and pertuzumab are both a form of "targeted therapy" because they work by attaching themselves to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of tumor cells, known as HER2 receptors. When these drugs attach to HER2 receptors, the signals that tell the cells to grow are blocked and the tumor cell may be marked for destruction by the body's immune system. Giving paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab may enable fewer chemotherapy drugs to be given without compromising patient outcomes compared to the usual treatment. Read Less

This phase II/III trial compares the addition of nivolumab to the usual treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab to paclitaxel and ramucirumab alone in treating patients with gastric or esophageal adenocarcinoma that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced). A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Adding nivolumab to ramucirumab and paclitaxel may work better to treat patients with advanced stomach or esophageal cancer. Read Less

This phase III clinical trial studies two different dose schedules of paclitaxel to see how well they work in combination with carboplatin with or without bevacizumab in treating patients with stage II, III or IV ovarian epithelial cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or fallopian tube cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Bevacizumab is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody and blocks tumor growth by stopping the growth of blood vessels that tumors need to grow. It is not yet known whether giving paclitaxel with combination chemotherapy once every three weeks is more effective than giving paclitaxel once a week in treating patients with ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer. Read Less

This phase II/III trial compares the effect of the 3-drug chemotherapy combination of nab-paclitaxel, gemcitabine, plus cisplatin versus the 2-drug chemotherapy combination of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic) and a known genetic mutation in the BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 gene. Read Less

This randomized phase III clinical trial studies chemotherapy with or without trastuzumab after surgery to see how well they work in treating women with invasive breast cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) and giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill more tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can block cancer 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. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective with trastuzumab in treating breast cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies paclitaxel and trastuzumab with or without lapatinib to see how well they work in treating patients with stage II or stage III breast cancer that can be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. 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. Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving paclitaxel with trastuzumab and/or lapatinib before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. It is not yet known which regimen is more effective in treating patients with breast cancer. Read Less