Clinical trials

This phase 1, single-center, open-label study explores the safety of escalating doses of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) cells in subjects with relapsed/refractory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

This clinical trial evaluates the combination of olomorasib and pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has a Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus (KRAS) G12C mutation and a programmed death-ligand (PD-L1) score between 1% and 49%. The main goal of the study is to determine how long patients live without their cancer worsening after starting treatment, also known as progression-free survival (PFS). Additional goals include evaluating how many patients experience tumor shrinkage or disappearance, how long responses to treatment last, overall survival, and the safety and side effects of the treatment combination. Furthermore, how well the treatment works in patients whose cancer has spread to the brain, outcomes in patients with a lower Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG), and whether certain tumor or blood-based biomarkers are associated with treatment response or side effects, if enough patient data is available for analysis.

This health services study will assess a multidisciplinary intervention program directed at fatigue mitigation among patients diagnosed with indolent lymphomas. Specifically, 30 subjects with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and 10 subjects with Follicular Lymphoma (FL), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia, or Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) will be included.

The purpose of this study explores the usefulness of urine samples for cervical cancer screening in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women. Cervical cancer occurs when women are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause changes in the cells that lead to cervical precancer and, eventually, cervical cancer if untreated. However, urine HPV testing has not been well validated low- and middle-income country settings, with no data available to guide its use in HIV-infected women.

This study is testing a new treatment combination called RAVEN, which includes revumenib, azacitidine, and venetoclax, in patients who are newly diagnosed with a specific type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) called KMT2A- translocated AML. People with this type of AML often have poor outcomes, so new treatments are needed that may work better and cause fewer side effects. The study has two parts: 1. Induction Phase: Patients will receive treatment for up to 3 cycles. Each cycle lasts 28 days. The goal is to help the leukemia go into remission. 2. Continuation Phase: After remission and blood count recovery, patients will continue treatment until the leukemia returns, side effects become too severe, the patient receives a stem cell transplant, or another reason to stop treatment occurs. Patients who receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant (stem cells from a donor) may also join a separate part of the study to test revumenib as maintenance treatment after transplant.

RATIONALE: Gathering information about older patients with cancer may help the study of cancer in the future. PURPOSE: This research study is gathering information from older patients with cancer into a registry.

This phase 1, single-center, open-label study explores the safety of escalating doses of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) cells in subjects with relapsed/refractory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

This prospective study will test artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) decision support tools. This tool is designed to help doctors, physicists and other staff during pre-treatment peer review, a step where treatment plans are checked before a patient begins care. The system highlights summaries showing how different providers may vary in their treatment planning (provider-variability summaries) and points out the best signals or warning signs to look for (optimal cues). By drawing attention to these patterns and cues, the tool aims to help reviewers spot possible treatment-planning mistakes earlier, reduce the chance of errors, and improve overall patient safety.

Lynch syndrome is a genetic condition that increases cancer risk. The public health impact of genetic testing for disease prevention hinges on cascade screening, which is the systematic identification and testing of blood relatives after a family member has been diagnosed with a genetic condition. Despite its importance in disease prevention, only half of first-degree relatives of individuals with Lynch syndrome undergo cascade screening. To address this gap, the study will pilot test an online version of Let's Talk, a novel intervention designed to support and promote cascade screening. This intervention tool is designed to support and encourage more family members to get screened. The purpose of this study aim is to assess the feasibility of the online Let's Talk tool in clinical use by examining implementation and effectiveness outcomes related to the use of the planning tool across three clinics at a large academic-affiliated medical center with patients (n=15) seen by one of five genetic counselors (n=5).

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-level, community-engaged intervention to increase access to cervical cancer screening using human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection (HPVSC) outreach among women living in a high-risk rural county and to improve navigation for follow-up screening. A one-group intervention evaluation design will be used to pilot test feasibility and acceptability and to assess the proportion of women who return HPVSC kits and test HPV-positive. At the community level, local community-based organizations (CBOs) will serve as HPVSC kit distribution sites. At the individual level, trained community health workers will work with CBOs to support women throughout the HPVSC process, including specimen collection, kit return, result notification, and follow-up clinic-based screening for women who test HPV-positive.

This study aims to examine the effects of marketing claims on alcoholic beverage packaging on alcohol consumers' perceptions and intentions. Participants will be randomized to view three images of alcoholic beverages (beer, hard seltzer, flavored malt beverage) with one of three marketing claims (or a no claim control), and then queried about their perceptions of the product and intentions to consume the product.

This study examines how virtual support can enhance well-being and survivorship in men with testicular cancer. Participants in North Carolina will be randomized into two groups: one with access to a virtual support platform and the other with access to patient educational materials only. After six months, the emotional well-being, self-efficacy, financial toxicity, and quality of life of both groups will be compared at 3 months and 6 months after baseline assessments.

The goal of this study is to explore cognitive burden perceptions among physicians in relation to case report writing. Furthermore, this study evaluates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) assistance as a tool to reduce cognitive burden among providers preparing and submitting case reports. If an AI-tool is helpful in this setting, it may potentially help increase reporting of rare medical events and thereby improve the evidence base for care of these patient populations. This study will occur at a single time point which is expected to last approximately 2 hours. This session will include reviewing two rare tumor cases and then writing a clinical vignette with and without AI assistance.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer. It may also help doctors predict how patients will respond to treatment. PURPOSE: This research study is looking at tissue and blood samples from women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer

Screening and referral program to proactively identify financial hardship in adult patients with cancer and connect those at-risk with education, counseling, and resources. Patients with cancer will be screened as part of routine care and referred to available resources at their institution, following the referral processes developed and mapped in Aim 1.

The goal of this project is to evaluate an adapted health promotion program, HomeGrown, designed to improve the health of young children with Down syndrome by supporting families in making healthy home environmental changes. There is a significant need for evidence-based programs that address healthy eating and physical activity within this population, as most existing interventions have been developed for typically developing children. By tailoring the program to the unique needs of families of young children with Down syndrome, this project aims to advance inclusion and equity in health behavior promotion. This R61/R33 study will assess the feasibility (R61 Phase) and subsequent efficacy (R33 Phase) of the HomeGrown program in improving family practices related to nutrition and physical activity. During the R61 feasibility phase, 38 primary caregivers of children aged 2-6 years with Down syndrome will be enrolled in a 6-month randomized controlled trial. Families will be randomized 1:1 to either the HomeGrown intervention or a waitlist control group (6-month delayed start), stratified by the child's biological sex (male/female) and age (2-3 vs. 4-6 years). All measures will be collected at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The R61 feasibility phase will address three specific aims: Accrual: Achieve an enrollment rate of 10 families per month, supporting feasibility for the R33 efficacy phase. Engagement: Demonstrate that families use at least 70% of available HomeGrown intervention components, measured using the digital behavior change interventions engagement scale. Data Collection \& Retention: Achieve at least 80% retention with completion of all outcome assessments. By addressing key gaps in nutrition and physical activity research for young children with Down syndrome, this study has the potential to improve health outcomes for an underserved population and inform future clinical and community health promotion efforts.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and, along with lymphoblastic lymphoma, represents the most common group of childhood lymphoid malignancies. Survival rates have improved over the years, but many children still experience long-term side effects from treatment. These can include tiredness, weak muscles, pain, nerve problems, difficulty moving, and other physical challenges. Many children with ALL are also overweight at diagnosis, and weight gain often continues during treatment. As a result, about half of childhood leukemia survivors have a BMI at or above the 85th percentile. Treatment decisions are usually based on a child's symptoms and genetic risk factors. However, some risk factors such as physical activity can be modified. Exercise during treatment may help children feel better and may even improve survival. However, research on early symptom tracking and structured exercise during the first phase of chemotherapy is limited, uses different methods, and often does not include reliable patient-reported symptoms. Effective exercise programs for children with ALL and lymphoblastic lymphoma need to consider the child's age, treatment side effects, motivation, family support, and ways to encourage long-term behavior change. Because children spend little time in the hospital during the induction phase, a mix of in-person and virtual sessions supported by real-time Zoom instruction can make it possible to offer safe and supervised exercise at home. This study will use a guided exercise plan that includes tools to track sets, repetitions, intensity, warm-up time, and perceived exertion. These tools help with consistent monitoring and support both patients and caregivers throughout the program. Twenty children newly diagnosed with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma who receive standard 3-4 drug induction chemotherapy will be invited to participate. Our goal is to determine whether a 9-week hybrid exercise program, combined with weekly symptom check-ins, is practical and achievable in both hospital and home settings.

The purpose of this gene therapy research study is to test the safety and tolerability of using a new treatment called autologous T lymphocyte chimeric antigen receptor cells against the B7-H3 antigen (iC9.CAR.B7-H3 T cells) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that came back after receiving standard therapy for this cancer. The iC9.CAR.B7-H3 treatment is experimental and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

This Phase II hybrid decentralized multicenter study examines the outcomes of stopping Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have remained in remission for at least two years. The primary objective is to determine how long patients remain free from disease progression or death after discontinuing treatment, measured as event free survival. The study also evaluates whether stopping BTKi therapy leads to improvements in quality of life and reductions in treatment related side effects. Researchers will follow patients over time to assess if the cancer returns, whether resistance to therapy develops, and how patients feel during the treatment free period. In addition, the trial will investigate how discontinuing BTKi therapy affects immune function, including whether immune recovery occurs and infection risk decreases. Preliminary data indicate that patients may experience a treatment free interval exceeding two years after stopping therapy, with associated improvements in quality of life. By prospectively evaluating a time limited treatment strategy, this trial aims to determine whether durable disease control can be maintained off therapy while also assessing the resolution of BTKi related adverse events and changes in patient reported outcomes. Overall, the study seeks to determine whether patients can safely discontinue BTKi therapy and potentially restart treatment later if needed, thereby maintaining disease control while reducing the burden of continuous therapy.

Informed consent is an ethical and legal component of the pre-procedural process. Informed consent involves the explanation of procedural steps and discussion regarding the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the proposed procedure. The current informed consent process lacks standardization, and patient experience can vary widely depending on the provider obtaining consent. This pilot study aims to ensure high quality informed consent for patients undergoing a complex oncologic operation known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple operation), through the creation of an educational video as a method of obtaining informed consent. This study will explore whether the application of an educational video as part of the informed consent process increases patient understanding, comfort, and overall satisfaction throughout the Whipple operative course. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether implementation of a multimedia video as an enhancement to surgical informed consent improves patient satisfaction, promotes understanding, and informs operative expectations. The desired outcome is to standardize the informed consent process to eliminate variability in the quality of the consent process and to mitigate the impact of healthcare barriers such as health literacy and language proficiency in the informed consent process.

The purpose of the CASCADE-3002 project is to improve access to cervical cancer screening among women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) receiving care at U.S.-based CASCADE clinical sites. This study will assess the cervical cancer screening cascade and identify multilevel factors that impede access to screening among women with HIV attending Infectious Disease clinics in Georgia and Maryland. In parallel, the study will explore and develop implementation strategies for human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection to increase screening uptake, adherence, and appropriate clinical follow-up in this population at elevated risk for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer remains a preventable malignancy; however, women with HIV are at substantially increased risk and experience higher rates of cervical cancer compared with women without HIV. The World Health Organization has called for the global elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, defined as fewer than 4 incident cases per 100,000 women annually, with targets for vaccination, screening, and treatment coverage. Although the United States has the tools to approach near-elimination, disparities in healthcare access and screening persist, particularly among women with HIV.

This is a 4-arm, single-center study involving 40 participants. Ten healthy volunteers will be enrolled for system imaging optimization, and thirty (30) patients with previously identified lesions in the breast, liver, or kidney-based on prior ultrasound or cross-sectional imaging-will be imaged. Recruitment will be conducted such that ten patients are included from each anatomic region. The fourth arm will consist of 10 healthy volunteers who will be imaged to allow optimization of imaging parameters. Optimization is is required again due to the use of a different ultrasound system employing a new imaging technique. Parameters such as frame rate, power, depth of imaging, and linear translation rate will be adjusted during this process. The primary objectives of the study are to assess the sensitivity and specificity of Contrast Enhanced Super-Resolution (CESR) imaging in evaluating known lesions in the breast, liver, and kidney. These results will be compared with pathological findings. The secondary objectives are to compare the sensitivity and specificity of CESR imaging with those of traditional B-mode ultrasound in differentiating malignant from benign lesions in these same organs.

The goal of this study is to determine the anti-proliferative effect of tirzepatide on the endometrium of patients with endometrial intra-epithelial neoplasia (EIN) and Grade 1 endometrial cancer (EC), by comparing archival endometrial biopsy samples of patients randomized to tirzepatide versus SOC (no tirzepatide) to their post-intervention hysterectomy specimens. It was hypothesized that tirzepatide may help fight tumors in two ways: indirectly, by improving the body's overall metabolic health, and directly, by acting on abnormal cells in the uterus, such as those found in endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) and endometrial cancer (EC). EIN is considered a precursor to EC. Tirzepatide may influence the tumor environment through key biological pathways related to insulin, fat metabolism, and mTOR signaling, all of which are often disrupted in individuals with obesity. Because both EIN and EC are strongly linked to obesity, tirzepatide could offer a promising dual benefit, promoting weight loss while also slowing or stopping tumor growth. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether tirzepatide can reduce cell proliferation in the lesions or tumors of patients with EIN and early- stage (Grade 1) EC. Patients will either be randomized to receive tirzepatide or no tirzepatide for 4 weeks prior to their hysterectomy surgery. Patients randomized to the tirzepatide arm will be given a glucose monitoring system for continuous monitoring with real-time alarms to alert of hypoglycemia. Patients will complete diaries during treatment to document compliance with medication and record any side effects. Patients will undergo standard of care surgery 7-10 days after the final dose of tirzepatide in order to minimize the risk of gastroparesis. During surgery (hysterectomy), an endometrial biopsy for uterine biopsy tissue will be collected. At the 1-month post-operation visit, patients from both arms will be referred to an institutional weight loss clinic.

This study evaluates whether the time of day when immunotherapy is given affects clinical outcomes. It includes patients eligible for PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) or PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) inhibitor treatment who have either advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or locally advanced, resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).The study tests the hypothesis that outcomes differ based on infusion timing (morning versus afternoon). Patients are divided into two cohorts by disease type: Cohort 1 includes NSCLC and Cohort 2 includes HNSCC. Within each cohort, patients are randomly assigned to receive infusions in the morning or afternoon, using a 2:1 ratio for NSCLC and a 1:1 ratio for HNSCC. All treatment and disease assessments follow standard medical care, and outcomes such as survival and treatment response are collected from medical records. Patients will be followed for up to 2 years.

This randomized, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate self-administered 5-fluorouracil (5FU) to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) clearance after thermal ablation (TA) in Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (WWH) in Kenya. The trial will also assess the safety, adherence, and acceptability of 5FU. Starting four weeks after TA, participants will self-administer 5FU cream or matched placebo intravaginally once every other week for 12 applications, with clinic visits at weeks 2, 8, 16, 24, and 48 for evaluation. All participants will be followed up to 48 weeks. It is hypothesized that, compared to placebo, 5FU will increase HPV clearance at 24 weeks and that the proposed dosing schedule will be safe, well-tolerated, and acceptable in this population. Together with data from other studies, this trial will provide evidence on the use of self-administered intravaginal 5FU to improve HPV treatment outcomes in WWH in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of cervical cancer is highest.