Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm In The Brain

This phase III trial compares the effect of stereotactic radiosurgery to standard of care memantine and whole brain radiation therapy that avoids the hippocampus (the memory zone of the brain) for the treatment of small cell lung cancer that has spread to the brain. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a specialized radiation therapy that delivers a single, high dose of radiation directly to the tumor and may cause less damage to normal tissue. Whole brain radiation therapy delivers a low dose of radiation to the entire brain including the normal brain tissue. Hippocampal avoidance during whole-brain radiation therapy (HA-WBRT) decreases the amount of radiation that is delivered to the hippocampus which is a brain structure that is important for memory. The drug, memantine, is also often given with whole brain radiotherapy because it may decrease the risk of side effects related to thinking and memory. Stereotactic radiosurgery may decrease side effects related to memory and thinking compared to standard of care HA-WBRT plus memantine.

This clinical trial examines an investigational scan (64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab positron emission tomography \[PET\]/magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\]) in imaging patients with HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to the brain (brain metastasis). Diagnostic procedures, such as 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab PET/MRI, may help find HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to the brain and determine whether cancer in the brain takes up trastuzumab, which may predict for response to trastuzumab deruxtecan (the standard of care chemotherapy).

This phase III trial compares the effectiveness of fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (FSRS) to usual care stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in treating patients with cancer that has spread from where it first started to the brain. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. FSRS delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor over 3 treatments. SRS is a type of external radiation therapy that uses special equipment to position the patient and precisely give a single large dose of radiation to a tumor. FSRS may be more effective compared to SRS in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the brain.

This phase III trial studies the side effects and how well stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) works before or after surgery in patients with tumors that has spread to the brain or that can be removed by surgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a specialized radiation therapy that delivers a single, high dose of radiation directly to the tumor and may cause less damage to normal tissue.

This phase I/II trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of universal donor UD TGFbetai natural killer (NK) cells, and whether UD TGFbetai NK cells with temozolomide works to shrink tumors in patients with stage IV melanoma that has spread to the brain (metastatic to the brain). NK cells are immune cells that contribute to anti-tumor immunity by recognizing and destroying transformed or stressed cells. Temozolomide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in the body. Giving UD TGFbetai NK cell and temozolomide may work better in treating patients with stage IV melanoma.

This phase I trial studies the safety and side effects of a new positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent called 64Cu-DOTA-pembrolizumab to see how well it works in determining treatment response for patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) already receiving pembrolizumab. 64Cu-DOTA-pembrolizumab consists of a monoclonal antibody, pembrolizumab, that binds to a protein called PD-1 that is expressed on tumor cells. PET scans can then visualize the tumor cells using 64Cu, a radioactive substance. 64Cu-DOTA-pembrolizumab PET scans may be safe and useful to doctors in telling the difference between tumors that are still growing and areas that are not growing in patients with stage IV NSCLC receiving pembrolizumab treatment.

This phase II trial studies the neurological function in patients with multiple brain metastases undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Stereotactic body radiation therapy uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. This method can kill tumor cells with fewer doses over a shorter period and cause less damage to normal tissue. Assessment of neurocognitive function may help show that SRS preserves neurological function in patients with multiple brain metastases better than SBRT.

This pilot clinical trial studies how well electrocorticography works in mapping functional brain areas during surgery in patients with brain tumors. Using a larger than the standard mapping grid currently used during brain tumor surgery or a high-definition grid for electrocorticogram brain mapping may help doctors to better identify which areas of the brain are active during specific limb movement and speech during surgery in patients with brain tumors.

This phase IIa trial studies how well dendritic cell vaccines against Her2/Her3 and pembrolizumab work for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer or HER2+ breast cancer or HER+ Breast cancer that has spread to the brain (brain metastasis). Dendritic cell vaccines work by boosting the immune system (a system in the body that protect against infection) to recognize and destroy the cancer cells. . Pembrolizumab is an "immune checkpoint inhibitor" which is designed to either "unleash" or "enhance" the cancer immune responses that already exist by either blocking inhibitory molecules" or by activating stimulatory molecules. Giving dendritic cell vaccines and pembrolizumab may shrink the cancer.

This phase II trial compares the effect of single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery to fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of patients with cancer that has spread to the brain (metastatic brain disease). Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-power energy on a small area of the body. This trial is being done to determine if single (one) fraction stereotactic radiosurgery is better than fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery or vice versa in controlling tumor and side effects in patients with tumors that have spread to the brain.

This study evaluates patient perceptions around quality of care through telemedicine in neuro-oncology. Studying questionnaires related to perceptions quality of care through telemedicine in patients with brain cancer may help doctors to improve the delivery of care through this modality.

This phase II trial studies how well gadolinium and ferumoxytol magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) work in diagnosing patients with abnormalities in the central nervous system. Diagnostic procedures, such as gadolinium and ferumoxytol MRI, may help find and diagnose abnormalities in the central nervous system.

This clinical trial evaluates the use of microdialysis catheters during surgery to collect biomarkers, and studies the feasibility of intraoperative microdialysis during neurosurgery for central nervous system malignancies. A biomarker is a measurable indicator of the severity or presence of disease state. Information collected in this study may help doctors to develop new strategies to better diagnose, monitor, and treat brain tumors.

This phase I trial studies how well zirconium (Zr)-89 crefmirlimab berdoxam and immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) identifies areas of immune cell activity in patients with brain tumors that can be removed by surgery (resectable). One important predictor of the immune response is the presence and change in CD8 positive (+) tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) cells. Identifying the presence and changes in CD8+ cells can be challenging, particularly for participants with central nervous system (CNS) tumors, and usually requires invasive procedures such as repeat tissue biopsies, which may not accurately represent the immune status of the entire tumor. Zr-89 crefmirlimab berdoxam is known as a radioimmunoconjugate which consists of a radiolabeled anti-CD8+ minibody whose uptake can be imaged with PET. Upon administration, Zr 89 crefmirlimab berdoxam specifically targets and binds to the CD8+ cells. This enables PET imaging and may detect CD8+ T-cell distribution and activity and may help determine the patient's response to cancer immunotherapeutic agents more accurately. Giving Zr-89 crefmirlimab berdoxam along with undergoing immuno-PET imaging may work better at identifying immune cell activity in patients with resectable brain tumors.

This clinical trial studies whether advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, including diffusion-relaxation correlation spectrum imaging (DR-CSI) and sodium imaging, can be used to identify the difference between brain tumors that come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) and treatment-related tissue damage (radiation necrosis \[RN\]). Radiation therapy is often used in the treatment of brain tumors. Radiation treatment response can be difficult to assess and is usually done using conventional MRI, which uses radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. Current imaging techniques have a limited ability to identify the difference between recurrent brain tumor and RN due to their similar appearance on conventional MRI and overlapping clinical presentation. This makes it hard for doctors to plan the best way to treat these tumors. DR-CSI is a new MRI technique with the potential to detect microscopic tissue components with different characteristics. Sodium imaging is an MRI technique that estimates the total sodium concentration in the obtained images. It may be able to identify the small structures within the tissue of brain tumors. Advanced MRI techniques like DR-CSI and sodium imaging may be effective in identifying the difference between recurrent brain tumors and RN.

This trial has two cohorts of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other places in the body. All patients must be receiving trastuzumab-based treatment. Both cohorts are being observed for cardiac toxicity. The largest cohort (currently open to accrual) is observational, and contains patients who are taking a beta blocker, ACE inhibitor, or ARB as well as their trastuzumab-based treatment. The goal is to understand how common cardiac problems are in this group of patients at high risk. The smaller cohort (currently closed to accrual) is randomized. Patients in this second cohort are randomized to either carvedilol or no treatment, with the goal of seeing whether carvedilol (used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure) may prevent the heart from side effects of chemotherapy.

This early phase I trial evaluates different administration techniques (oral or intravenous) for arginine and tests the safety of giving arginine with whole brain radiation therapy in patients who have cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to the brain (brain metastases). Arginine is an essential amino acid. Amino acids are the molecules that join together to form proteins in the body. Arginine supplementation has been shown to improve how brain metastases respond to radiation therapy. The optimal dosing of arginine for this purpose has not been determined. This study measures the level of arginine in the blood with oral and intravenous dosing at specific time intervals before and after drug administration to determine the best dosing strategy.

This phase II trial compares the effect of encorafenib, binimetinib, and nivolumab versus ipilimumab and nivolumab in treating patients with BRAF- V600 mutant melanoma that has spread to the brain (brain metastases). Encorafenib and binimetinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Ipilimumab and nivolumab are monoclonal antibodies that may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. This trial aims to find out which approach is more effective in shrinking and controlling brain metastases from melanoma.

This phase III trial studies stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) before surgery to see how well it works compared with SRS after surgery in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the brain (brain metastases). SRS is the delivery of focused, high-dose radiation given in a single session to the tumors, with a minimal dose given to uninvolved areas of the brain.