53 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of MM-398 and ramucirumab in treating patients with gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. MM-398 contains a chemotherapy drug called irinotecan, which in its active form interrupts cell reproduction. MM-398 builds irinotecan into a container called a liposome which may be able to release the medicine slowly over time to reduce side effects and increase its ability to kill tumor cells. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as ramucirumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving MM-398 and ramucirumab together may work better in treating patients with gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.
Participants will receive study treatment with agenT-797, botensilimab, balstilimab, ramucirumab, and paclitaxel. When participants start each agent will depend on how their disease is affecting them.
This program is to provide zolbetuximab to people with stomach cancer or gastroesophageal junction (the junction between stomach and esophagus) cancer who have not yet been treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or zolbetuximab and who have tested positive for claudin18.2 (a protein found in some cancer cells). People will work with their doctor to see if they are capable of being treated with zolbetuximab while they receive other standard medicines to treat their cancer. The program will allow people early access to zolbetuximab before the drug is fully approved. Zolbetuximab will be given through a vein. This is called an infusion. The infusion will happen during a person's treatment with other cancer medicines. Zolbetuximab will be given every 3 weeks. People will continue treatment until: they have medical problems (unwanted side effects) from the treatment; their cancer gets worse; they start other cancer treatment; they ask to stop treatment; or they do not come back for treatment. People will visit the clinic on certain days during their treatment. During these visits, the program doctors will check for any medical problems (unwanted side effects) from zolbetuximab, other cancer treatment, or both. At some visits, other checks will include a medical examination, laboratory tests and vital signs. Vital signs include temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. Also, blood samples will be taken. People will visit the clinic within 7 days after stopping treatment. The program doctors will check for any medical problems (unwanted side effects) from zolbetuximab or their cancer treatment. Other checks will include a medical examination, laboratory tests, and vital signs. Then, people will have a follow-up visit about 30 days after stopping treatment. If people are having no health problems, the follow-up visit can happen over the telephone.
This phase I trial tests the safety and tolerability of an experimental personalized vaccine when given by itself and with pembrolizumab in treating patients with solid tumor cancers that have spread to other places in the body (advanced). The experimental vaccine is designed target certain proteins (neoantigens) on individuals' tumor cells. 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. Giving the personalized neoantigen peptide-based vaccine with pembrolizumab may be safe and effective in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.
This phase II trial studies the effect of the combination of ramucirumab and trifluridine/tipiracil or paclitaxel in treating patients with previously treated gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Ramucirumab may damage tumor cells by targeting new blood vessel formation. Trifluridine/tipiracil is a chemotherapy pill and that may damage tumor cells by damaging their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Paclitaxel may block cell growth by stopping cell division which may kill tumor cells. Giving ramucirumab and trifluridine/tipiracil will not be worse than ramucirumab and paclitaxel in treating gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
Zolbetuximab is being studied in people with cancer in and around the stomach or where the food pipe (esophagus) joins the stomach, called GEJ cancer. Most people with this type of cancer have a protein called Claudin 18.2 in their tumor. Zolbetuximab is thought to work by attaching to the Claudin 18.2 protein in their tumor, which switches on the body's immune system to attack the tumor. There is an unmet medical need to treat people with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer. This study will give more information about how well zolbetuximab works when given with chemotherapy in adults with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer. In this study, adults with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer will either be given zolbetuximab with chemotherapy or a placebo with chemotherapy. A placebo looks like zolbetuximab but doesn't have any medicine in it. Zolbetuximab with chemotherapy has already been approved to treat stomach cancer and GEJ cancer in some countries. This study is being done in countries where zolbetuximab has not yet been approved for use. If zolbetuximab becomes approved for use in those countries taking part in this study, the people taking part in those countries will leave this study and receive licensed zolbetuximab. The main aim(s) of the study is(are) to determine the efficacy of zolbetuximab combined with chemotherapy compared to a placebo combined with chemotherapy in treating adults with Claudin 18.2-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma. Adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic stomach cancer or GEJ cancer can take part. Locally advanced means the cancer has spread to nearby tissue. Unresectable means the cancer cannot be removed by surgery. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. A tumor sample of their cancer will also have the Claudin 18.2 protein. They may have been previously treated with certain standard therapies but have not been treated with chemotherapy for their cancer. People cannot take part if they need to take medicines to suppress their immune system, have blockages or bleeding in their gut, have specific uncontrollable cancers such as symptomatic or untreated cancers in the nervous system, or have a specific heart condition, or infections. The study treatments are either zolbetuximab with chemotherapy or placebo with chemotherapy. People who take part will receive just one of the treatments by chance. Study treatment will be double-blinded. That means that the people in the study and the study doctors will not know who takes which of the study treatments. Study treatment will be given in cycles. The study treatment is given to people slowly through a tube into a vein. This is called an infusion. The chemotherapy is called CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) and will be given as an infusion and also as tablets. People will have 1 infusion of either zolbetuximab or placebo together with oxaliplatin chemotherapy in 3-week (21-day) cycles. People will also take 1 tablet of capecitabine (chemotherapy) twice a day for the first 2 weeks (14 days) of each cycle. People may receive zolbetuximab or placebo until their cancer worsens, they cannot tolerate the treatment, or they need to start another cancer treatment. People will receive CAPOX for up to about 6 months (8 treatment cycles). After the 6 months, people may receive capecitabine chemotherapy only, until their cancer worsens, they cannot tolerate the study treatment, or they need to start another cancer treatment. People will visit the clinic on certain days during their treatment. The study doctors will check if people had any medical problems from zolbetuximab or the other study treatments. Also, people in the study will have health checks. On some visits, they will have scans to check for any changes in their cancer. People will have the option of giving a tumor sample after their study treatment has finished. People will visit the clinic within 7 days after they stop their study treatment. People will be asked about any medical problems and will have a health check. People who start treatment with licensed zolbetuximab will not need to attend the clinic for further visits and will receive standard of care health checks. People who continue study treatment will visit the clinic at 1 and 3 months after they stop their study treatment. They will continue to have scans every 9 or 12 weeks to check for any changes in their cancer. They will have telephone health checks every 3 months. The number of visits and checks done at each visit will depend on the health of each person and whether they completed their treatment or not.
Zolbetuximab is being studied in people with cancer in and around the stomach or where the food pipe (esophagus) joins the stomach, called gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. Most people with this type of cancer have a protein called Claudin 18.2 in their tumor. Zolbetuximab is thought to work by attaching to the Claudin 18.2 protein in their tumor, which switches on the body's immune system to attack the tumor. There is an unmet medical need to treat people with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer. This study will give more information about how well zolbetuximab works when given with chemotherapy in adults with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer. In this study, adults with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer will either be given zolbetuximab with chemotherapy or a placebo with chemotherapy. A placebo looks like zolbetuximab but doesn't have any medicine in it. Zolbetuximab with chemotherapy has already been approved to treat gastric cancer and GEJ cancer in some countries. This study is being done in countries where zolbetuximab has not yet been approved for use. If zolbetuximab becomes approved for use in those countries taking part in this study, the study doctor will switch study treatment in those countries to the licensed zolbetuximab. If this happens, people taking part in those countries will leave this study and receive licensed zolbetuximab. The main aim of the study is to check if zolbetuximab and chemotherapy can prevent or delay the worsening of people's gastric cancer and GEJ cancer compared to placebo and chemotherapy. Adults with advanced stomach cancer or GEJ cancer can take part. Locally advanced means the cancer has spread to nearby tissue. Unresectable means the cancer cannot be removed by surgery. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. A tumor sample of their cancer will also have the Claudin 18.2 protein. They may have been previously treated with certain standard therapies, but have not been treated with chemotherapy for their cancer. People cannot take part if they need to take medicines to suppress their immune system, have blockages or bleeding in their gut, have specific uncontrollable cancers such as symptomatic or untreated cancers in the nervous system, or have a specific heart condition, or infections. The study treatments are either zolbetuximab with chemotherapy, or placebo with chemotherapy. People who take part will receive just 1 of the study treatments by chance. Study treatment will be double-blinded. That means that the people in the study and the study doctors will not know who takes which of the study treatments. Study treatment will be given in cycles. The study treatment is given to people slowly through a tube into a vein. This is called an infusion. People will have 4 infusions in 6-week (42-day) cycles as follows: * Zolbetuximab or placebo - 2 infusions in a cycle. * Chemotherapy (called modified FOLFOX6 or mFOLFOX6) - 3 infusions in a cycle. The first infusion is combined with zolbetuximab or placebo on day 1 of each cycle. People may receive zolbetuximab or placebo until their cancer worsens, they cannot tolerate the study treatment, or they need to start another cancer treatment. People will receive mFOLFOX6 for up to 6 months (4 study treatment cycles). After the 6 months people may receive chemotherapy containing folinic acid and fluorouracil instead of mFOLFOX6. People may receive folinic acid and fluorouracil chemotherapy for more than 6 months, or until their cancer worsens, they cannot tolerate the study treatment, or they need to start another cancer treatment. People will visit the clinic on certain days during their study treatment. The study doctors will check if people had any medical problems from taking zolbetuximab or the other study treatments. Also, people in the study will have health checks. On some visits they will have scans to check for any changes in their cancer. People will have the option of giving a tumor sample after their study treatment has finished. People will visit the clinic after they stop their study treatment. People who start treatment with licensed zolbetuximab or mFOLFOX6 outside of this study will not need to visit the clinic. People will be asked about any medical problems and will have a health check. People will visit the clinic at 1 month after they stop their study treatment. People will continue to have scans every 9 or 12 weeks to check for any changes in their cancer. People will have telephone health checks every 3 months. The number of visits and checks done at each visit will depend on the health of each person and whether they completed their study treatment or not.
Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The purpose of this study is to assess adverse events and change in disease activity when ABBV-400 is given in combination with Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and a programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD1) inhibitor (Budigalimab) (AFLB) to adult participants to treat locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or esophageal adenocarcinoma (mGEA). ABBV-400 and Budigalimab are investigational drugs being developed for the treatment of mGEA. Fluorouracil and Leucovorin are drugs approved for the treatment of mGEA. This study will be divided into two stages, with the first stage treating participants with increasing doses of ABBV-400 within the AFLB regimen until the dose reached is tolerable and expected to be efficacious. Participants will then be randomized into groups called treatment arms where one group will receive fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). A further two treatment groups will receive AFLB, but with two optimized doses of ABBV-400 to allow for the best dose to be studied in the future. Approximately 180 adult participants with mGEA will be enrolled in the study in 51 sites worldwide. In the dose escalation stage participants will be treated with increasing intravenous (IV) doses of ABBV-400 within the AFLB regimen until the dose reached is tolerable and expected to be efficacious. In the dose optimization stage participants will be receive FOLFOX or receive AFLB, but with one of two optimized doses of ABBV-400The study will run for a duration of approximately 6 years. There may be higher treatment burden for participants in this trial compared to their standard of care. Participants will attend regular visits during the study at an approved institution (hospital or clinic). The effect of the treatment will be frequently checked by medical assessments, blood tests, questionnaires and side effects.
This is an open label, single-arm phase II, multi-institutional trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of nab-paclitaxel and FOLFOX (FOLFOX-A) as first line therapy for patients diagnosed with histologically-confirmed advanced gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma.
This is a Phase II, open-label, multi-drug, multi-centre study designed to assess the efficacy, safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity of novel combination therapies in participants with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma.
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.
This phase III trial compares the effect of modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (mFOLFIRINOX) to modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX) for the treatment of advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2 negative esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma. The usual approach for patients is treatment with FOLFOX chemotherapy. 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. Fluorouracil stops cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Leucovorin is used with fluorouracil to enhance the effects of the drug. Oxaliplatin works by killing, stopping, or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Some patients also receive an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, in addition to FOLFOX chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Irinotecan blocks certain enzymes needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill tumor cells. Adding irinotecan to the FOLFOX regimen could shrink the cancer and extend the life of patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancers.
This early phase I trial studies the effect of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in treating patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma that has spread to other places in the body (advanced/metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). 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. Lenvatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving pembrolizumab and lenvatinib may kill more tumor cells.
A Phase I-II, First-in-Human Study of SKB264 (Sac-TMT; MK-2870) in Patients with Locally Advanced Unresectable/Metastatic Solid Tumors who are refractory to Available Standard Therapies. Patient must have historically documented, incurable, locally advanced or metastatic cancer that are refractory to standard therapies of one of the following types: 1. Triple negative breast cancer 2. Epithelial ovarian cancer 3. Non-small cell lung cancer 4. Gastric adenocarcinoma/Gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma 5. Small cell lung cancer 6. HR+/ HER2-breast cancer 7. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma 8. Endometrial carcinoma 9. Urothelial carcinoma 10. Cervical cancer
A Phase Ib/II, open label, multi-center, randomized study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity of immunotherapy-based treatment combinations in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic G/GEJ cancer (hereafter referred to as gastric cancer) and esophageal cancer. Two cohorts of patients with gastric cancer have been enrolled in parallel in this study: the second-line (2L) Gastric Cancer Cohort consists of patients with gastric cancer who have progressed after receiving a platinum-containing or fluoropyrimide-containing chemotherapy regimen in the first-line setting, and the first-line (1L) Gastric Cancer Cohort consists of patients with gastric cancer who have not received prior chemotherapy in this setting. In each cohort, eligible patients will be assigned to one of several treatment arms. Additionally, a cohort of patients with esophageal cancer who have not received prior systemic treatment for their disease will be enrolled in this study. Eligible patients will be randomized to chemotherapy or the combination of chemotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy.
This phase II trial is studying how well giving sorafenib together with docetaxel and cisplatin works in treating patients with metastatic or locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. Sorafenib 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. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving sorafenib together with docetaxel and cisplatin may kill more tumor cells.
The purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of Ipilimumab and standard of care as sequential or maintenance treatment immediately after first-line chemotherapy in the treatment of unresectable or metastatic gastric and gastro-esophageal cancer.
This study will find the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of CYNK-101 which contains Natural Killer (NK) cells derived from human placental CD34+ cells and culture-expanded. CYNK-101 will be administered as first-line treatment, following induction therapy consisting of Pembrolizumab, Trastuzumab and a Fluoropyrimidine / Platinum based Chemotherapy regimen. Patients are required to undergo a biopsy for confirmation of HER2 positivity defined as either IHC 3+ or IHC 2+ with a positive fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) or FISH + alone. The safety of this treatment will be evaluated, and researchers will want to learn if NK cells will help in treating patients with Locally Advanced Unresectable or Metastatic HER2-Positive Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction (G/GEJ) Adenocarcinoma.
RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bevacizumab together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving bevacizumab together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel works in treating patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic stomach or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate superiority of treatment with avelumab plus best supportive care (BSC) versus physician's choice (chosen from a pre-specified list of therapeutic options) plus BSC.
This is a Phase 1, Open-Label, Dose Escalation and Expansion, Multicenter Study of Claudin 18.2-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells in Subjects with Unresectable, Locally Advanced, or Metastatic Gastric, Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ), Esophageal, or Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
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 combining bryostatin 1 and paclitaxel in treating patients who have unresectable locally advanced or metastatic stomach cancer.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemoprotective drugs such as triacetyluridine may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of triacetyluridine, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in treating patients who have unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic cancer of the esophagus or stomach.
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate superiority of treatment with avelumab versus continuation of first-line chemotherapy.
This phase I trial studies the best dose of sonidegib when given together with pembrolizumab and to see how well they work in treating patients with solid tumor that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Sonidegib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. 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. Giving sonidegib and pembrolizumab may work better than standard treatment in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.
This phase I/II trial studies the best dose and how well trifluridine/tipiracil hydrochloride combination agent TAS-102 (TAS-102) and nanoliposomal irinotecan work in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers that have spread to other places in the body (metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in the chemotherapy, such as trifluridine/tipiracil hydrochloride combination agent TAS-102 and nanoliposomal irinotecan, 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.
This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of azenosertib in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan in treating patients with HER2-positive and cyclin E amplified gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer and other HER2-positive solid tumors that have spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced), that have spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic), or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Azenosertib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It inhibits a protein called Wee1. Inhibition of the Wee1 protein can make tumor cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs, leading to tumor cell death. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is in a class of medications called antibody-drug conjugates. It is composed of a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Giving azenosertib in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan may be safe, tolerable, and/or more effective in treating patients with locally advanced, metastatic, or unresectable HER2-positive gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or other solid tumors, compared to just trastuzumab deruxtecan alone.
The primary purpose of this study is to see if Sym024 is safe and tolerable as monotherapy and in combination with Sym021 in patients with solid tumor malignancies.
This study is being done to determine the dose of a chemotherapy drug (irinotecan \[irinotecan hydrochloride\]) that can be tolerated as part of a combination of drugs. There is a combination of chemotherapy drugs often used to treat gastrointestinal cancer, which consists of 5-FU (fluorouracil), leucovorin (leucovorin calcium), irinotecan and oxaliplatin and is known as "FOLFIRINOX". FOLFIRINOX is a current drug therapy combination (or regimen) used for people with advanced pancreatic cancer, although this combination is not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for this indication. FOLFIRINOX was recently shown in a separate clinical trial to increase survival compared to another commonly used drug in pancreatic cancer called gemcitabine. FOLFIRINOX is also a reasonable regimen for those with other advanced cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, including colon cancer, rectal cancer, esophagus cancer, stomach cancer, gall bladder cancer, bile duct cancer, ampullary cancer, and cancers with an unknown primary location. The best dose of irinotecan to use in FOLFIRINOX is not known. This study will analyze one gene (uridine 5'-diphospho \[UDP\] glucuronosyltransferase 1 family, polypeptide A1 \[UGT1A1\] gene) of subjects for the presence of an alteration in that gene, which may affect how the body handles irinotecan. Genes help determine some of the investigators individual characteristics, such as eye color, height and skin tone. Genes may also determine why people get certain diseases and how medicines may affect them. The result of the genetic analysis will divide subjects into one of three groups: A, B, or C. Group A (approximately 45% of subjects) will receive the standard dose of irinotecan. Group B (approximately 45% of subjects) will receive a lower dose of irinotecan. Group C (approximately 10% of subjects) will receive an even lower dose of irinotecan
RATIONALE: Vorinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving vorinostat together with combination chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in treating patients with advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer.