11 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupressure to the ear (auricular) to address appetite and weight in patients with stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer. Cancer anorexia, the abnormal loss of appetite, directly leads to cancer-associated weight loss (cachexia) through malnourishment, reduced caloric intake, treatment side-effects, and other modifiable risk factors. Cachexia prolongs length of hospital stay for patients, negatively impacts treatment tolerance and adherence, and reduces overall patient quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a form of micro-acupuncture that exerts its effect by stimulating the central nervous system using adhesive taped pellets applied to specific locations on the external ear. The use of these pellets to deliver auricular acupressure has been shown to improve pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and quality of life in both cancer and non-cancer settings. Auricular acupressure is a safe, inexpensive, and non-invasive approach to addressing cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects and may be effective at improving appetite and weight loss in stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer patients.
This phase II trial compares atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy (docetaxel, oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, fluorouracil, capecitabine) to atezolizumab alone for controlling the growth and/or spreading of the disease in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction (JEG) cancer that has not spread from where it first started (local) or only has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue (locoregional) and has high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). The mismatch repair (MMR) system in the body corrects errors made during the copying of DNA and serves as a proofreading function. If this system isn't working correctly, mutations (changes) in DNA occur which can allow the cancer to grow or spread. This is called dMMR (deficient mismatch repair) . MSI-H describes cancer cells that have a high number of mutations within microsatellites. For example, microsatellite testing that shows mutations in 30% or more microsatellites is called microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). Microsatellites are short, repeated sequences of DNA. There is evidence that MSI-H/ dMMR gastric or GEJ tumors respond well to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Oxaliplatin is in a class of medications called platinum-containing antineoplastic agents. It damages the cell's DNA and may kill tumor cells. Capecitabine is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It is taken up by tumor cells and breaks down into fluorouracil, a substance that kills tumor cells. Chemotherapy drugs such as leucovorin calcium and fluorouracil work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Using atezolizumab as immunotherapy with and following chemotherapy versus atezolizumab alone prior to and after surgery may shrink or stabilize the tumor in patients with MSI-H/dMMR localized gastric or GEJ cancer and may increase the length of time after treatment that cancer does not come back or get worse.
This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects studies chemotherapy followed by chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy (chemoradiation) before surgery (neoadjuvant) in treating patients with stage gastric (stomach) or gastroesophageal junction cancer . Chemotherapy drugs, such as docetaxel, oxaliplatin , leucovorin, fluorouracil, and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving chemotherapy and chemoradiation before surgery may make the tumor smaller and may reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed.
This study examines at-home monitoring of patient-generated phsyiologic health data and patient-reported outcomes. Patient-generated health data using at-home monitoring devices and smart device applications are used more and more to measure value and quality in cancer care. This trial may show whether at-home monitoring programs can improve the care of patients after hospital discharge from surgery.
This trial tests new methods and materials for the real-time chemotherapy-associated side effects monitoring support system (RT-CAMSS) in patients with gastrointestinal cancers undergoing chemotherapy. RT-CAMSS is a monitoring support system that provides patients with evidence-based information and side-effect management and coping skills, emotional support and validation, and proactive care via text messages and questionnaires as they undergo chemotherapy.
This phase IIA trial investigates the side effects of Ad5.F35-hGCC-PADRE vaccine and to see how well it works in treating patients with gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. Ad5.F35-hGCC-PADRE vaccine may help to train the patient's own immune system to identify and kill tumor cells and prevent it from coming back.
This phase II trial studies how well an early recovery after surgery protocol works in enhancing quality of life in participants with stage 0-IIIC gastric cancer undergoing surgery. The early recovery after surgery protocol may decrease pain and nausea, promote bowl function, decrease the number of days hospitalized, and improve a participant's ability to function normally after surgery.
This phase Ib trial investigates the side effects and how well a shorter course of chemotherapy and radiation treatment (chemoradiotherapy) for 2 weeks instead of 5 weeks followed by standard chemotherapy works in treating patients with gastric cancer who are scheduled to have treatment and then surgery to remove the tumor. Chemotherapy drugs, such as capecitabine and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high energy sources to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving short-course chemo-radiotherapy before chemotherapy and surgery may help to control the disease.
This phase II/III trial compares the addition of nivolumab to the usual treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab to paclitaxel and ramucirumab alone in treating patients with gastric or esophageal adenocarcinoma that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced). A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Adding nivolumab to ramucirumab and paclitaxel may work better to treat patients with advanced stomach or esophageal cancer.
This pilot phase I/II trial studies the side effects and how well nivolumab and ipilimumab in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy work in treating patients with gastric cancer that can be removed by surgery. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy uses thin beams of radiation of different strengths aimed at the tumor from many angles. This type of radiation therapy may reduce the damage to healthy tissue near the tumor. Giving nivolumab, ipilimumab, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may work better in treating patients with gastric cancer.
This phase II trial studies if talazoparib works in patients with cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and has mutation(s) in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage response genes who have or have not already been treated with another PARP inhibitor. Talazoparib is an inhibitor of PARP, a protein that helps repair damaged DNA. Blocking PARP may help keep cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA, causing them to die. PARP inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy. All patients who take part on this study must have a gene aberration that changes how their tumors are able to repair DNA. This trial may help scientists learn whether some patients might benefit from taking different PARP inhibitors "one after the other" and learn how talazoparib works in treating patients with advanced cancer who have aberration in DNA repair genes.