5 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The investigators are testing subtenon carboplatin in combination with vincristine and topotecan given by vein in the hopes of finding a drug combination that may be effective against retinoblastoma that has come back (recurrent) or is resistant to other treatment (refractory). The goals of this study are: * To decide if the drug combination is a useful treatment for recurrent or refractory retinoblastoma * To test the safety of the drug combination and to see what kind of effects (good and bad) can be expected from the drug combination * To measure visual changes before and after the study therapy * To use a special MRI scan to measure brain function involved in vision processing, both before and after the study therapy In this study, the investigators are also testing a new experimental way of giving carboplatin "subtenon carboplatin". The carboplatin will be given directly in the eye through a needle placed under the covering of the eye. This is to try to get more carboplatin to the retinoblastoma inside the eye.
This phase II trial tests the safety and side effects of adding melphalan (by injecting it into the eye) to standard chemotherapy in early treatment of patients with retinoblastoma (RB). RB is a type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the retina (the light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye). It may be hereditary or nonhereditary (sporadic). RB is considered harder to treat (higher risk) when there are vitreous seeds present. Vitreous seeds are RB tumors in the jelly-like fluid of the eye (called the vitreous humor). The term, risk, refers to the chance of the cancer not responding to treatment or coming back after treatment. Melphalan is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It may kill cancer cells by damaging their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and stopping them from dividing. Other chemotherapy drugs given during this trial include carboplatin, vincristine, and etoposide. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Vincristine is in a class of medications called vinca alkaloids. It works by stopping cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill cancer cells. Adding melphalan to standard chemotherapy early in treatment may improve the ability to treat vitreous seeds and may be better than standard chemotherapy alone in treating retinoblastoma.
The purpose of this trial is to evaluate proton beam radiation therapy as an alternative to external photon beam irradiation in children with retinoblastoma as a means of local tumor control and ocular retention.
The goal of this observational study is undertake a detailed phenotypic and genotypic study of patients with ocular and secondary cancers due to mutations in the RB1 gene. Our research sequencing approach will allow advanced insight to for further detailed genotypic understanding of parent-of-origin for valuable insight into the genotype-phenotype relationship of this cancer syndrome.
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a primary eye cancer that forms in the back of the eye of infants and toddlers. Traditionally, RB is diagnosed without a biopsy; tumor can only be studied once an eye has been surgically removed. Given this limitation, we use aqueous humor (AH), the clear fluid in the front of the eye to detect specific markers, or information, that comes from the tumor itself.