3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to collect and store tumor tissue, blood, and bone marrow samples from patients with soft tissue sarcoma that will be tested in the laboratory. Collecting and storing samples of tumor tissue, blood, and bone marrow from patients to test in the laboratory may help the study of cancer.
This randomized phase III trial is studying two different combination chemotherapy regimens to compare how well they work when given together with radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vincristine sulfate, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and irinotecan hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which combination chemotherapy regimen is more effective when given together with radiation therapy in treating patients with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Thalidomide may stop the growth of soft tissue sarcoma by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving thalidomide together with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed. This phase II trial is studying how well giving preoperative (before surgery) thalidomide together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with low-grade primary soft tissue sarcoma, and how well giving thalidomide together with radiation therapy, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine works in treating patients with high-grade or intermediate-grade primary soft tissue sarcoma of the arm, leg, chest wall, or abdominal wall.