Medulloblastoma clinical trials at UCSF

This phase III trial tests two hypotheses in patients with low-risk and average-risk medulloblastoma. Medulloblastoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the back of the brain. The term, risk, refers to the chance of the cancer coming back after treatment. Subjects with low-risk medulloblastoma typically have a lower chance of the cancer coming back than subjects with average-risk medulloblastoma. Although treatment for newly diagnosed average-risk and low-risk medulloblastoma is generally effective at treating the cancer, there are still concerns about the side effects of such treatment. Side effects or unintended health conditions that arise due to treatment include learning difficulties, hearing loss or other issues in performing daily activities. Standard therapy for newly diagnosed average-risk or low-risk medulloblastoma includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy (including cisplatin). Cisplatin may cause hearing loss as a side effect. In the average-risk medulloblastoma patients, this trial tests whether the addition of sodium thiosulfate (STS) to standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy reduces hearing loss. Previous studies with STS have shown that it may help reduce or prevent hearing loss caused by cisplatin. In the low-risk medulloblastoma patients, the study tests whether a less intense therapy (reduced radiation) can provide the same benefits as the more intense therapy. The less intense therapy may cause fewer side effects. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. The overall goals of this study are to see if giving STS along with standard treatment (radiation therapy and chemotherapy) will reduce hearing loss in medulloblastoma patients and to compare the overall outcome of patients with medulloblastoma treated with STS to patients treated without STS on a previous study in order to make sure that survival and recurrence of tumor is not worsened.

This phase III trial studies different chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimens to compare how well they work in treating young patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated, high-risk medulloblastoma. Chemotherapy drugs, such as vincristine sulfate, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, 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. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Carboplatin may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. It is not yet known which chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimen is more effective in treating brain tumors.

This phase II Pediatric MATCH treatment trial studies how well ensartinib works in treating patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders with ALK or ROS1 genomic alterations that have come back (recurrent) or does not respond to treatment (refractory) and may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced). Ensartinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well erdafitinib works in treating patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders with FGFR mutations that have spread to other places in the body and have come back or do not respond to treatment. Erdafitinib may stop the growth of cancer cells with FGFR mutations by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This trial studies how well fimepinostat works in treating patients with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or medulloblastoma, or high-grade glioma that have come back. Fimepinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well ivosidenib works in treating patients with solid tumors that have spread to other places in the body (advanced), lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders that have IDH1 genetic alterations (mutations). Ivosidenib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in an important signaling pathway called the IDH pathway.

This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well larotrectinib works in treating patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders with NTRK fusions that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and have come back (relapased) or does not respond to treatment (refractory). Larotrectinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase II trial studies how well reduced doses of radiation therapy to the brain and spine (craniospinal) and chemotherapy work in treating patients with newly diagnosed type of brain tumor called WNT)/Wingless (WNT)-driven medulloblastoma. Recent studies using chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been shown to be effective in treating patients with WNT-driven medulloblastoma. However, there is a concern about the late side effects of treatment, such as learning difficulties, lower amounts of hormones, or other problems in performing daily activities. Radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation from x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, vincristine sulfate, cyclophosphamide and lomustine, 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 reduced craniospinal radiation therapy and chemotherapy may kill tumor cells and may also reduce the late side effects of treatment.

This phase II pediatric MATCH treatment trial studies how well selpercatinib works in treating patients with solid tumors that may have spread from where they first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced), lymphomas, or histiocytic disorders that have activating RET gene alterations. Selpercatinib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in an important signaling pathway (called the RET pathway) and may reduce tumor size.

A study to learn about safety and find out maximum tolerable dose of palbociclib given in combination with chemotherapy (temozolomide with irinotecan or topotecan with cyclophosphamide) in children, adolescents and young adults with recurrent or refractory solid tumors (phase 1). Neuroblastoma tumor specific cohort to further evaluate antitumor activity of palbociclib in combination with topotecan and cyclophosphamide in children, adolescents, and young adults with recurrent or refractory neuroblastoma. Phase 2 to learn about the efficacy of palbociclib in combination with irinotecan and temozolomide when compared with irinotecan and temozolomide alone in the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with recurrent or refractory Ewing sarcoma (EWS).

This Pediatric MATCH screening and multi-sub-study phase II trial studies how well treatment that is directed by genetic testing works in pediatric patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphomas, or histiocytic disorders that have progressed following at least one line of standard systemic therapy and/or for which no standard treatment exists that has been shown to prolong survival. Genetic tests look at the unique genetic material (genes) of patients' tumor cells. Patients with genetic changes or abnormalities (mutations) may benefit more from treatment which targets their tumor's particular genetic mutation, and may help doctors plan better treatment for patients with solid tumors or non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

This phase II pediatric MATCH trial studies how well tipifarnib works in treating patients with solid tumors that have recurred or spread to other places in the body (advanced), lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders, that have a genetic alteration in the gene HRAS. Tipifarnib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in a gene called HRAS and may reduce tumor size.

This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well ulixertinib works in treating patients with solid tumors that have spread to other places in the body (advanced), non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders that have a genetic alteration (mutation) in a signaling pathway called MAPK. A signaling pathway consists of a group of molecules in a cell that control one or more cell functions. Genes in the MAPK pathway are frequently mutated in many types of cancers. Ulixertinib may stop the growth of cancer cells that have mutations in the MAPK pathway.