Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients With Anaplastic Astrocytoma

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2009-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Current therapies for adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy provide very limited benefit to the patient. The anti-cancer properties of Antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy.

PURPOSE: This study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that Antineoplaston therapy has on adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Burzynski Research Institute

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed incurable adult anaplastic astrocytoma

• Evidence of progressive or recurrent tumor by MRI scan performed within 2 weeks prior to study entry

• Must have received and failed standard therapy

• Tumor must be at least 5 mm

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 2 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 2000/mm^3

• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL

• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal

• No hepatic failure

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/dL

• No history of renal conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium

Cardiovascular:

• No uncontrolled hypertension

• No history of congestive heart failure

• No history of other cardiovascular conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium

Pulmonary:

• No serious lung disease such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study

• No active infection

• No other serious concurrent disease

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered

• No concurrent immunomodulating agents

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered

• No concurrent antineoplastic agents

Endocrine therapy:

• Concurrent corticosteroids allowed

Radiotherapy:

• At least 8 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

• Fully recovered from any prior surgery

Other:

• Prior cytodifferentiating agent allowed

• No prior antineoplaston therapy