292 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This clinical trial studies the side effects of computed tomography (CT)-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with intrafraction motion monitoring and to see how well it works in treating patients with prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body (localized). In CT-guided SBRT, x-ray-based imaging and cone-beam CTs are used to define and localize the area to be treated with SBRT. SBRT is a type of external radiation therapy that uses special equipment to position a patient and precisely deliver radiation to tumors in the body (except the brain). The total dose of radiation is divided into smaller doses given over several days. This type of radiation therapy helps spare normal tissue. A recent randomized trial showed that while SBRT is associated with less urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction than complete surgical removal of the prostate, there are more urinary irritative side effects and more bowel side effects than with surgery. One source of uncertainty in SBRT that may contribute to genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) side effects is the necessity of treating a "margin" of volume around the prostate to account for its movement during SBRT. Intrafraction motion monitoring is any technique or system designed to track the movement of the body and target during fractions of external beam radiation to keep the beam on target. This allows for the patient to be repositioned, if needed, to ensure delivery of the SBRT to only the planned treatment area. CT-guided SBRT with intrafraction motion monitoring may lower GU and GI side effects by allowing tighter margins, as has been demonstrated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided SBRT.
Recent advances in radiation treatment have allowed for higher doses per treatment to be delivered safely. This study plans to use an MRI-guided linear accelerator to deliver the radiation treatment to ensure that the radiation dose is administered to the cancerous tumor, not the vital body organs. Potential participants with a sarcoma diagnosis will be referred to Radiation Oncology during this study. If the participant is interested in participating in this study, s/he receives radiation treatment daily for 5 consecutive days except for weekends and holidays. Within 12 weeks of completing the radiation therapy, the participant will have the primary tumor surgically removed. The radiation oncology team will follow the patients for 5 years after completing radiation therapy.
This study explores the relationship between myocardial fibrosis and patient outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation (AF), specifically after catheter ablation. It aims to use Cardiac CT, an accessible tool, to measure left ventricular extracellular volume (ECV) as an indicator of fibrosis. The study will assess if higher ECV levels correlate with increased risks of AF recurrence, hospitalization, and poor cardiac function recovery. Positive findings could make ECV a key factor in deciding AF treatment strategies.
Early detection of coronary atherosclerotic disease facilitates adequate prevention. The purpose of this study is to compare an assessment of coronary atherosclerotic disease burden by positron emission tomography / computed tomography (NaF-PET/CT) with those of conventional and ultra-high-resolution-CT (UHR-CT) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. For this purpose, the investigators plan to include 33 patients with symptoms concerning for CAD who have been referred for cardiac CT testing.
This study will be assessing the ability of PSMA-PET CT to determine the absence of clinically significant prostate cancer in patients on active surveillance (AS) with low risk and favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
This study will evaluate the impact of CT-guided adaptive stereotactic radiotherapy (CT-STAR) to central and ultra-central early-stage non-small cell lung cancers on grade 3 or greater toxicity. Online adaptive radiation therapy was until recently only done clinically on an integrated MRI-guided system, but recently, Varian Medical Systems has created a CT-guided radiotherapy machine capable of online adaptive radiotherapy (ETHOS). The vast majority of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for early-stage lung cancers is performed on a CT-guided machine rather than an MRI-guided machine, necessitating the evaluation of adaptive radiotherapy using ETHOS in this population. Historically, the non-adaptive, stereotactic treatment of central and ultra-central thoracic disease has been associated with unacceptable rates of grade 3+ toxicity. This has resulted in widespread adoption of a hypofractionated, less ablative 8-15 day treatment courses, with a baseline, one-year grade 3+ toxicity rate of 20%. Use of CT-STAR with daily, CT-guided plan adaptation to carefully spare adjacent organs-at-risk (OAR) in this setting may enable safe delivery of a shorter (5 fraction) and more ablative radiotherapy course.
CKJX839D12303 is a research study to determine if the study treatment, called inclisiran, in comparison to placebo taken in addition to statin medication can effectively reduce the total amount of plaque formed in the heart's vessels as measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) from baseline to month 24. This study is being conducted in eligible participants with a diagnosis of non-obstructive coronary artery disease (NOCAD), where the coronary arteries are blocked less than 50%, and with no previous cardiovascular events.
This is a prospective multi-center study. All clinically stable, symptomatic patients who present to the emergency department (ED) or observation unit with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) and who have at least one ≥40% lesion and no lesion \>90% confirmed by CCTA (Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram) are eligible for enrollment once their CCTA has been completed and their FFR-CT (if applicable) has been ordered. All enrolling sites will have CCTA incorporated into their standard evaluation of chest pain in the ED/observation unit. Non-control sites will have CCTA and FFR-CT analysis incorporated into their standard evaluation of chest pain in the ED/observation unit.
The main objective of this study is to demonstrate that Error Management Training improves adaptive expertise in head computed tomography interpretation. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing two learning strategies, Error Management Training vs Error Avoidance Training, in emergency medicine residents. The investigators hypothesize that Error Management Training, as compared to Error Avoidance Training, will improve adaptive expertise, as measured by skills transfer, when used to teach head computed tomography interpretation to emergency medicine residents.
Hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiation therapy (HA-WBRT) limits radiation dose to the hippocampal-avoidance region while still delivering therapeutic doses of radiation to the whole brain. When used in addition to prophylactic memantine, this technique has been shown to better preserve cognitive function in patients with brain metastases outside of the hippocampal-avoidance region with no difference in intracranial progression-free and overall survival. However, HA-WBRT requires considerably longer planning time when compared to conventional WBRT (5-10 business days, compared to next-day), and studies have shown that brain metastases can grow in as rapidly as one week. A proposed solution for quicker initiation of HA-WBRT is the use of simulation-free radiation treatment planning, in which pre-existing diagnostic images are used to generate the radiation treatment plan (as opposed to acquiring planning-specific image sets). This will be paired with the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted semi-automated planning using the FDA-approved treatment planning system called Ethos Therapy. The investigators have developed an institutional HA-WBRT auto-planning template, which has been retrospectively validated for the creation of plans that are compliant with the gold standard NRG Oncology CC001 clinical trial and are dosimetrically comparable to traditional HA-WBRT plans. Semi-automated plans will be constructed using diagnostic imaging, which will be refined as needed (adjustments for difference in gross head positioning between diagnostic imaging and radiation treatment positioning, etc.) while the patient is on the treatment table at fraction one using adaptive radiation planning. Adaptive radiotherapy is standard-of-care practice for other disease sites. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of a simulation-free workflow for HA-WBRT that is AI-assisted and semi-automated.
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the utility of the new investigational imaging agent ⁸⁹Zr Df-IAB22M2C (CD8 PET/CT tracer) to monitor CD8 T-cell expansion and trafficking within tumors and associated tissues in patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing treatment with bempegaldesleukin and nivolumab as a single agent and in combination.
The anatomical changes of the upper airway in a standing vs pseudo-supine position using Carestream Orthodontic Imaging (Volumetric) and Carestream Orthodontic Imaging module (AP measurements) of the patient's airway respectively, have been taken and the obtained results compared. In order to simulate the supine position, patients are placed in a supine position (180 degrees) in a dental exam chair, and asked to relax their lower jaw, allowing it to drop back, simulating their jaw falling back while sleeping. That bite is then captured with a Correct Plus™ Impression Material Superfast. Once the bite material hardens, it locks the bite in place. The patient then stands upright, and CBCT is taken standing while the jaw placement is still pseudo sleep-supine, supported by the bite material.
The purpose of this study is to determine if a new non-invasive imaging technology, called Photoacoustic Computed Tomography (PACT), can be used in the pre-operative setting to better visualize the blood supply of reconstructive flaps used in Plastic Surgery.
Current radiologic imaging modalities used in dentistry provide information on the morphology of the hard tissues. Additional information on the density of bone has practical relevance, for example, in dental implant treatment planning, where local bone quality is a known strong predictor of successful implant osseointegration. The Dual-Energy Cone Beam Computed Tomography (DE-CBCT) device is designed to overcome limitations of traditional imaging and will provide assessment of jaw bone density in additional to morphological information. This clinical trial will examine the application of DE-CBCT to assess jaw bone density and compare Hounsfield units (HU) values with multidetector CT, an established standard for assessing BD.
Low-dose CT Screening has been shown in two large trials in the United States (NLST) and Europe (NELSON) to increase overall survival in subjects 55 years of age and older with a strong smoking history. Unfortunately, in both North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC), subjects are found to have the above referenced smoking history prior to reaching the minimum age in these studies. This study is aimed at decreasing the minimum age of screening in a high-risk population.
Objectives: Although cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming a standard of care in implant therapy, concerns have been raised recently about its limitation in imaging peri-implant tissues due to artifacts. The aim of present study was to demonstrate the complementary role of ultrasound (US), for a comprehensive examination of peri-implant tissues in live humans. Material and Methods: Patients with \> 1 implant, a CBCT scan, an US scan, and clinical photographs taken during the open-bone surgery were included. The crestal bone thickness (CBT) and facial bone level (FBL) were measured on both modalities, and direct FBL measurements were also made on clinical images. The correlation plots were made to evaluate the measurement agreements between the 3 methods.
The purpose of this study is to find out if giving intravenous (IV) contrast (a liquid that helps with the visibility of organs and blood vessels that is given through the vein with the use of a hollow needle) during a Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT- a type of computerized X-ray) can help people who have image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for the treatment of abdominal and pelvic tumors.
The investigators propose here to evaluate the feasibility of a novel cone-beam CT (CBCT)-guided online adaptive radiotherapy (ART) workflow on the Halcyon device.
This study is being performed to find out if a new kind of breast imaging (called dedicated breast CT or BCT) can help doctors to see the small structures in breast tissue more clearly. The investigators also want to find out if using the BCT will provide a more accurate diagnosis of breast cancer.
Apply CT angiography, CT perfusion imaging and advanced image processing techniques to improve revascularization decision-making and surgical strategies in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
This is a pilot study that uses a standard of care technique, Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), in combination with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (DCE-CT) to determine if perfusion changes from SBRT of liver cancer may be used for outcome assessment and prediction of prognosis.
One-lung ventilation (OLV) is used for thoracic surgical procedures to facilitate surgical exposure. Lung isolation is performed using a double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) and optimal position is achieved with the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The most common technique used to place a left-sided DLT is the blind method technique, which consists of direct laryngoscopy and rotation of the DLT into the trachea with the aim to intubate the entrance of the left main bronchus. The DLT will be rotated counterclockwise blindly after the tip of the DLT passes the vocal cords under direct laryngoscopy. However, in some occasions, the tip of the DLT migrates into the right bronchus because the alignment between the trachea and right bronchus is more vertical. The identification of the misplacement can be challenging, which could lead to the failure of lung isolation. In order to avoid the unsuccessful lung isolation, Investigators are interested in identifying the factors that potentially influence the incorrect tube DLT placement diverting into the opposite bronchus.
PyL, also known as \[18F\]DCFPyL, is a second-generation fluorinated prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted PET imaging agent. In preliminary studies it demonstrates a higher detection of metastatic prostate lesions compared to standard imaging. Its ability to image metastatic prostate cancer sites was comparable to 68Ga-PSMA with high tumor-to-background ratios.Additionally, \[18F\] PyL demonstrated higher mean tumor-to-background ratios when using kidney, spleen, or parotid as reference organs. However, the role of \[18F\] PyL in tumor response to therapy has not been evaluated, specifically the potential to serve as a predictive biomarker of response. Given the high cost of current therapeutic agents in mCRPC, there is a need for an early response biomarker to stratify which patients will benefit from therapy and which will not. This will also allow for earlier change in management of patients who will not response to these therapies, potentially improving patient outcomes.
Magnetic resonance coronary angiography (MRCA) has its advantage in its ability to assess the coronary artery morphology without radiation or contrast media. The clinical application of MRCA is still challenging mainly because of technical limitations such as: its time-consuming image acquisition, inconsistent image quality, and low spatial resolution. Optimization of MRCA image acquisition method is in progress and compressed sensing (CS) with post-processing (de-noising) by deep learning reconstruction (DLR) is promising to solve these problems. The lack of a consensus method to assess the coronary stenosis on MRCA is another issue. Generally, a stenosis in MRCA is observed as a signal intensity (SI) drop along the artery compared to the healthy segments. A previous study has reported from its comparison of MRCA with coronary angiography (CAG) that the SI drop of 35% in MRCA stenosis lesion corresponded to the significant stenosis in CAG. Although this SI drop phenomenon was not observed in a different study on chronic total obstruction cases. One of the hypothesized reasons is that the SI drop in MRCA is affected not only by the stenosis severity but also the plaque characteristics, which is not assessable by CAG. To investigate this hypothesis coronary CTA is needed, which is a robust modality to assess coronary stenosis and plaque characteristics. Comparison between MRCA with CTA has the potential to give better information for developing a robust method to assess MRCA. In this study, the investigators aim to evaluate the feasibility of MRCA scanned with optimized protocol and post-processing, and to develop robust coronary artery assessment method on MRCA, by comparison with clinical coronary CTA.
This study will help us decide the best way to image the knee for diagnostic purposes: Knee computed tomography vs knee x-ray. The computed tomography will provide a weight bearing 3D view.
Coronary artery computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is a widely used, highly accurate technique for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), with sensitivity and negative predictive values of over 90% (1-4). Patients with normal CTA findings have an excellent prognosis and do not require further testing for CAD (5). However, like invasive coronary angiography (QCA), CTA is an anatomic test and, unless lesions are very severe (\>90% stenosis), cannot reliably predict the impairment of flow (functional significance) of intermediate grade stenoses. For this reason, in approximately 15-25% of patients, additional functional testing may be required after CTA, usually in the form of stress testing (6-8). Stress testing is commonly done by exercise or pharmacologic stress with electrocardiographic monitoring and often, imaging of myocardial perfusion by nuclear scintigraphy (MPI) or detection of abnormal contraction by echocardiography. This requires a separate procedure, entailing time, expense and limited risk. Furthermore, in patients with previously known CAD, CTA alone is not an adequate test, because in most cases there are multiple lesions that are possible sources of ischemia. Over the last 10 years, these investigators and others around the world have developed a method of imaging myocardial perfusion by CT (CTP). This test is an adjunct to the usual Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) procedure and can be done immediately thereafter, using conventional pharmacologic stress agents. It has demonstrated accuracy in many single center trials, and in this large multicenter study, the CORE320 trial (9,10) which showed a high accuracy in predicting the combined results of QCA plus MPI testing and a second multicenter trial established non-inferiority of myocardial CTP compared with nuclear stress testing (11,12). Additionally, this investigator group has published a direct comparison of diagnostic performance of myocardial CTP imaging and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging and demonstrated superior diagnostic performance of CTP imaging compared with SPECT for the diagnosis of significant disease on invasive angiography (13). CTP images can be acquired with two different approaches: static or dynamic. In the CORE320 study, the CTP protocol used static acquisition method. The static CTP method, samples a snapshot of the iodine distribution in the blood pool and the myocardium over a short period of time, targeting either the upslope or the peak of contrast bolus. The notion behind this is that, at the upslope of the contrast, the difference in attenuation value of the ischemic and remote myocardium is at the maximum which enables for qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion defects. The static CTP, however, does not allow for direct quantification of the myocardial blood flow (MBF). One of the drawbacks of static CTP lies in the acquirement of only one sample of data and the possibility of mistiming of the contrast bolus that results in poor contrast-to-tissue ratios by missing the peak attenuation (14). Output and flow rate of the contrast material may affect bolus timing. In addition, the acquisition of data from sequential heartbeats affects the attenuation gradient and may result in a heterogeneous iodine distribution, mimicking perfusion defects (15). Furthermore, the static CTP is limited in detection of balanced ischemia, where the perfusion of the entire myocardium is impaired and therefore there is no reference remote myocardium for comparison for semi-quantitative or qualitative static methods of CTP interpretation. Dynamic CT perfusion imaging uses serial imaging over time to record the kinetics of iodinated contrast in the arterial blood pool and myocardium. This technique allows for multiple sampling of the myocardium and the blood pool and creating time attenuation curves (TAC) by measuring the change in CT attenuation over time. Mathematical modelling of TACs permits for direct quantification of MBF. Despite its advantages, the use of dynamic CTP were limited in the past. A high temporal resolution and high number of detectors are required for dynamic CTP to allow for entire myocardial coverage, and in order to obtain multiple consecutive images at high heart rates(16,17). But the main challenge of dynamic CTP acquisition was the high radiation dose associated with this technique. Nevertheless, with the introduction of the cutting-edge 320 detector CT scanning systems with fast gantry rotation the issue of the cardiac coverage is eliminated(17). The second-generation 320-row scanners also permit the quantification of the MBF with dynamic CTP acquisition with relatively low-dose of radiation(18,19). In this study the investigators aim to evaluate the feasibility, safety and accuracy of the low-radiation dose dynamic myocardial CT perfusion compared to static CTP approach to detect hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease.
This study is designed to directly compare Standard Care and CT fractional flow reserve (CTFFR) for diagnosis of chest pain patients with definite coronary artery disease (CAD) on heart computed tomography (CT) scans.
The purpose of this study is to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of low-volume contrast media (CM) injection protocols adapted to tube voltage in patients undergoing Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA).
Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) contrast opacification gradients and FFR-CT estimation can aid in the severity estimation of significant atherosclerotic lesions. Currently, FFR-CT algorithms can only be optimized using theoretical models and can only be validated in large multi-center clinical trials. Using patient specific 3D printed coronary phantoms would allow optimization of FFR-CT algorithms with a measured validation technique without the need for large clinical trials. Thus the investigators believe that this study will result in a FFR-CT algorithm/method with a better predictability for arterial lesion severity than those existing on the market today. Flow measurements will be compared with: CT-FFR for both patients and phantoms, angio lab FFR measurements and 30 days follow-up. This pilot clinical study includes \~50 patients over a year and half at GVI.
Out-of-hospital arrest can occur from multiple etiologies. In patients without an obvious reason for the sudden-death event, diagnostic evaluation is not clear. This study is to determine if early imaging with a head-to-pelvis CT scan may improve diagnostic accuracy, speed of diagnosis and potentially clinical outcomes.