Clinical Research Directory

Paclitaxel Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Cancer Patients

The goals of this prospective, observational cohort study are to determine the feasibility of implementing paclitaxel therapeutic drug monitoring for cancer patients and explore the relationship between paclitaxel drug exposure and the development of neuropathic symptoms. This trial studies if paclitaxel can be consistently measured in the blood of patients with solid tumors undergoing paclitaxel treatment. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, 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. Nerve damage is one of the most common and severe side effects of paclitaxel. The ability to consistently measure paclitaxel in the blood may allow doctors to control the dose of paclitaxel, so that enough chemotherapy is given to kill the cancer, but the side effect of nerve damage is reduced.

Nelfinavir, Cisplatin, and External Beam Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Vulvar Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of nelfinavir when given together with cisplatin and external beam radiation therapy in treating patients with vulvar cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) and cannot be removed by surgery. Nelfinavir is an antiviral drug normally used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy beams to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving nelfinavir, cisplatin, and external beam radiation therapy may work better than giving only cisplatin and external beam radiation therapy in treating patients with vulvar cancer.