Biological Therapy and Gene Therapy in Treating Children With Recurrent or Refractory Neuroblastoma

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2005-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Biological therapies use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cell from growing. Inserting genetic material made in the laboratory into a person's blood cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of biological therapy and gene therapy in treating children who have recurrent or refractory neuroblastoma.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Collaborator: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Aldesleukin; Ganciclovir; Ganciclovir triphosphate

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically and/or radiographically proven disseminated neuroblastoma Recurrent or refractory to first-line therapy as defined by less than complete response to standard induction chemotherapy combined with surgical resection Histologic verification of neuroblastoma required at original diagnosis No radiographically detectable CNS involvement No clinically evident progressive encephalopathy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 1 to 17 (children only) Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: At least 3 months Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: No dialysis dependency Cardiovascular: No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia No hypertension requiring pressor support Pulmonary: No requirement for supplemental oxygen unless expected to resolve within 2 weeks Neurologic: See Disease Characteristics No refractory seizure disorder Other: No detectable human antimouse antibody reactivity if received prior murine antibody preparations No history of ganciclovir allergy or intolerance HIV negative Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 2 months after study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No other concurrent antibody therapy during or after study No other concurrent immunotherapy (e.g., interferons, vaccines, or other cellular products) Chemotherapy: At least 3 weeks since prior standard or experimental chemotherapy and recovered Endocrine therapy: No concurrent systemic corticosteroids unless specifically for amelioration of toxicity induced by transferred T-cell therapy Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: Not specified Other: At least 3 weeks since prior immunosuppressive therapies and recovered No concurrent pentoxifylline No other concurrent investigational agents No concurrent ganciclovir, any ganciclovir derivatives, or acyclovir for non-life-threatening herpes virus infections