molecular-guided therapy for relapsed and refractory childhood cancer

Conditions: Neuroblastoma; Medulloblastoma; Brain Tumors; Rare Tumors

Summary: the purpose of this study is to test the feasibility (ability to be done) of experimental technologies to determine a tumor's molecular makeup (gene expression profile) and mutations. this technology called the "pediatric gene analysis platform" includes a genomic report (gene expression profile) and a dna mutation panel report that are being used to discover new ways to understand cancers and potentially predict the best treatments for patients with cancer in the future.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * subjects must have histologically proven neuroblastoma, brain tumor, or rare tumor and confirmation of refractory or recurrent disease with histologic confirmation at diagnosis or at the time of recurrence/progression * subjects must be age \>12 months at enrollment. * subjects must be age ≤ 21 years at initial diagnosis. * subjects must have measurable disease as demonstrated by residual abnormal tissue at a primary or metastatic site measuring more than 1 cm in any dimension by standardized imaging (ct or mri); tumor must be accessible for biopsy. patients with bone marrow only disease expected to be \>75% tumor are eligible to enroll. * current disease state must be one for which there is currently no known curative therapy * lansky or karnofsky score must be more than 50 * subjects without bone marrow metastases must have an anc \> 750/μl * adequate liver function must be demonstrated, defined as: 1. total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (uln) for age and 2. sgpt (alt) \< 10 x upper limit of normal (uln) for age * a negative serum pregnancy test is required for female participants of child bearing potential (≥13 years of age or after onset of menses) * both male and female post-pubertal study subjects need to agree to use one of the more effective birth control methods during treatment and for six months after treatment is stopped. these methods include total abstinence (no sex), oral contraceptives ("the pill"), an intrauterine device (iud), levonorgestrol implants (norplant), or medroxyprogesterone acetate injections (depo-provera shots). if one of these cannot be used, contraceptive foam with a condom is recommended. * informed consent: all subjects and/or legal guardians must sign informed written consent. assent, when appropriate, will be obtained according to institutional guidelines. voluntary consent for optional biology studies will be included. exclusion criteria: * subjects who have received any cytotoxic chemotherapy within the last 7 days prior to enrollment and 14 days prior to study treatment start date. * subjects who have received any radiotherapy to the primary sample site within the last 14 days (radiation may be included in treatment decision after biopsy). * subjects receiving anti-tumor therapy for their disease or any investigational drug concurrently * subjects with serious infection or a life-threatening illness (unrelated to tumor) that is \> grade 2 (nci ctcae v4.0), or active, serious infections requiring parenteral antibiotic therapy. * subjects with any other medical condition, including malabsorption syndromes, mental illness or substance abuse, deemed by the investigator to be likely to interfere with the interpretation of the results or which would interfere with a subject's ability to sign or the legal guardian's ability to sign the informed consent, and subject's ability to cooperate and participate in the study