SAMDC

This is a phase Ib/II clinical study that has two phases. In phase Ib, the safety evaluation of the extract of Petiveria alliacea (Esperanza) will be carried out in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal tumors (colon, pancreas, stomach, and biliary tract) and patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed acute leukemia. In phase IIb, the safety will continue to be evaluated, and the efficacy of the Esperanza extract will be explored in combination with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal tumors (colon, pancreas, stomach, and biliary tract) with newly diagnosed acute leukemias and relapses.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving drugs in different combinations may kill more cancer cells. It is not yet know which treatment regimen is more effective in treating Hodgkin lymphoma.
PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying three different therapy regimens to compare how well they work in treating patients with previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma.

Approximately 18-45 patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) will be treated with DENSPM at approximately 5 centers in the United States. First, we will be trying to determine the highest dose that can be given safely and is well tolerated (this is called the maximally tolerated dose, or the MTD, for short). Once that is established, we will enroll additional patients to learn more about potential side effects and to see whether DENSPM can slow the growth of HCC tumors. We also want to learn about the safety of DENSPM. Many medications used to treat cancer cause side effects (discomforts or illness). In this study, we want to understand what side effects occur in patients with HCC who are treated with DENSPM.Study was terminated after initial assessment of insufficient data to support clinical benefit in this population.