32 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Background: Cushing s disease is caused by a pituitary gland tumor. Patients with Cushing s disease suffer obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, weakness, and hypertension. The cure is surgery to remove the pituitary tumor. Currently, MRI is the best way to find these tumors. But not all tumors can be seen with an MRI. Researchers hope giving the hormone CRH before a PET scan can help make these tumors more visible. Objective: To test whether giving CRH before a PET scan will help find pituitary gland tumors that might be causing Cushing s disease. Eligibility: People ages 8 and older with Cushing s disease that is caused by a pituitary gland tumor that cannot be reliably seen on MRI Design: Participants will be screened with their medical history, a physical exam, an MRI, and blood tests. Participants will have at least one hospital visit. During their time in the hospital, they will have a physical exam and a neurological exam. They will have a PET scan of the brain. A thin plastic tube will be inserted into an arm vein. A small amount of radioactive sugar and CRH will be injected through the tube. Participants will lie in a darkened room for about an hour and be asked to urinate. Then they will lie inside the scanner for about 40 minutes. After the scan, they will be asked to urinate every 2-3 hours for the rest of the day. Blood will be drawn through a needle in the arm. Participants will have surgery to remove their tumor within 3 months after the scan. Participants will then continue regular follow-up in the clinic.
Background: Cushing s disease is caused by excess ACTH hormone release by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. It can lead to decreased quality of life and early death. The current best treatment for Cushing s disease is surgery. If surgery does not work or if the tumor returns, there are no more good treatment options. Vorinostat, which is approved to treat a type of lymphoma, might be a treatment option. Objective: To test vorinostat to see if it can kill tumor cells and change the number of hormones released in people with Cushing s disease. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who have Cushing s disease and are scheduled for surgery under protocol 03-N-0164 to remove a tumor in their pituitary gland Design: Participants will be screened under protocol 03-N-0164. Participants will stay in the hospital for 8 days before their surgery. On the first day, participants will have a physical exam and blood tests. They will have their urine collected for testing all day. They will have an ECG: For this, small metal disks or sticky electrode pads will be placed on their chest to record heart activity. For the next 7 days, participants will have blood tests and all-day urine collection. They will drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day. They will take the study drug by mouth each morning. On the eighth day, participants will have their surgery. Leftover tissue will be collected for research. On the day they are discharged from the hospital, participants will have a physical exam and blood tests.
This is an open label study to assess the efficacy of capecitabine (CAP) and temozolomide (TMZ) in recurrent pituitary adenomas. There will be a safety run-in of at least three patients to establish any dose limiting toxicities. Enrolled patients will receive treatment in 28-day cycles: capecitabine 1500mg/m2 per day (divided into two doses with maximum daily dose of 2500mg) on days 1 through 14 and oral temozolomide 150 to 200 mg/m2 on days 10 through 14. This will be followed by 14 days off treatment. MRI imaging will be completed after every two cycles. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
The primary end-point of the study is to determine the specificity and sensitivity of OTL38 in identifying pituitary adenomas when excited by an imaging probe. The investigators intend to enroll 50 patients in this study. The study is focusing on patients presenting with suspected pituitary adenomas who are considered to be good surgical candidates.
This project is the first comprehensive prospective study of clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (CNFAs). Two groups of subjects will be studied: Group I will consist of 100 patients with clinically non-functioning (CNF) pituitary lesions who are asymptomatic and do not require surgery; Group II will consist of 250 patients who have pituitary lesions that are symptomatic and require surgery. Patients will be followed with a series of endocrine laboratory testing, physical examinations, testing of quality of life and neurocognitive function before and serially over time either during non-surgical management or after surgery and in some patients before and after radiotherapy (RT). Data on pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies and visual field testing being done over time during follow up as part of clinical care will be collected.
This is a randomized, multicenter trial with stratification done by a single radiologist at the coordinating center (NYU), and patients with comparable disease will be randomized to Sandostatin LAR treatment administered 1 time per month by IM injection for 3 months before (Arm A) or, for non-cured patients, after (Arm B) surgery. All patients will undergo transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. The impact of surgical debulking on responsiveness to Sandostatin LAR will be evaluated.The primary objective of this trial will be to determine whether surgery (debulking of pituitary adenomas) improves the response of patients with acromegaly to treatment with Octreotide LAR, when compared to Octreotide LAR therapy alone.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether therapy with farletuzumab is effective and safe in the treatment of resectable, non-functioning pituitary adenomas.
The purpose of this study is to collect information from medical records to see what effects proton beam radiation has on pituitary tumors and analyze possible side effects.
The purpose of this study is to determine if patients with a history of nonsecreting pituitary adenomas with untreated GH deficient patients have profiles consistent with increased cardiovascular risk compared to patients without GH deficiency who have undergone similar surgery.
The purpose of the study is to determine genetic links among blood-relatives and between spouses of patients with pituitary tumors.
Predictive analytics for GTR, EOR and RV are useful in surgical decision-making, particularly whenever there is no unequivocal indication for surgery. Several factors have been shown to have a role in predicting GTR. Among these, the Knosp classification has proven over the years to be a good predictor of GTR. The score is based on the lateral extension of the adenoma in relation the the intracranial bedding of the internal carotid artery. However, recent literature has demonstrated that the Knosp classification suffers from relatively poor interrater agreement. Moreover the classification was conceived in an era when endoscopic techniques were not available: nowadays endoscopic technique allows visualization and possibly also reaching portions of adenoma which at the time when the Knosp classification was introduced were simply not possible. Lastly, the efficacy of the Knosp's score in predicting also EOR and RV has never been tested. Recently a new score - the Zurich Pituitary Score (ZPS) has been proposed at the University Hospital of Zürich (USZ). The score has proved in the examined series to be more powerful than the Knosp classification in predicting GTR, EOR and RV. A good interrater agreement was also demonstrated. The score however, has been validated only in a monocentric setting with a limited number of patients. The aim of this study is to assess the (1) predictive ability of the ZPS for GTR, EOR, and RV, and (2) the inter-rater agreement of the ZPS in an external validation study.
The purpose of this research study is to compare the extent of resection (EOR) in patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas undergoing transsphenoidal surgery using a microsurgical technique to those patients who have undergone surgery with a fully endoscopic technique. Another goal is to compare surgical complications, endocrine outcomes, visual outcomes, length of surgery, length of hospital stay, and readmission rates between the two transsphenoidal surgery techniques. This is an observational data collection study with no experimental procedures or experimental medicines. Endonasal transsphenoidal removal of a pituitary tumor is a unique procedure and there is little information comparing the two surgical techniques.
During transsphenoidal resection of pituitary tumors and cysts, surgery is performed by a neurosurgeon and ear nose and throat surgeon. The pituitary tumor or cyst is reached by making a small hole in the back of the nose into the bottom of the skull. The surgeon is able to see the pituitary and tumor with an endoscope and remove the tumor through the hole. Surgery on the pituitary can cause disruption in the secretion of ACTH and cause adrenal failure (lack of cortisol secretion) which can cause nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and rarely can be fatal. There is no consensus among endocrinologists and neurosurgeons about the use of perioperative steroids in pituitary patients. Traditionally, all patients undergoing pituitary surgery were given steroids before, during, and after surgery because of the assumption that there would be some compromise in the amount of ACTH released by the pituitary as a result of surgical trauma. Studies have failed to show, however, that ACTH secretion is in fact compromised during transsphenoidal pituitary microsurgery. As a result, there are some centers that routinely give perioperative steroids to all patients undergoing pituitary surgery and there are some centers that do not routinely give perioperative steroids. There are several retrospective and prospective studies that have addressed this issue and have shown that withholding perioperative steroids is safe, but there has never been a prospective study comparing the two approaches. Objectives: The goal of this study is to prospectively compare two approaches to the perioperative management of patients undergoing transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary tumor or cyst. One protocol includes the routine use of perioperative steroids and the other does not. The investigators hypothesis, based on previous studies, is that patients who are adrenally sufficient do not routinely need to be treated with perioperative steroids. The investigators also hypothesize that the use of perioperative steroids may be associated with a higher rate of adverse outcomes
This study focuses on new therapies for a challenging disease in pituitary medicine, that of aggressive pituitary tumors which have limited therapeutic options beyond standard surgical, radiotherapy, and select medical therapies, each incurring significant morbidity and mortality, and each not optimally effective. To improve this gap in knowledge, we seek to translate findings from the laboratory into clinical practice and hone in on therapies directed at pituitary molecular targets, namely ErbB receptors. We have shown that human prolactinomas express nuclear EGFR and membranous ErbB2, ErbB3 and ErbB4, and expression correlates with tumor invasion. Pituitary tumor cell lines transfected with EGFR and ErbB2 translated to downstream effects on prolactin (PRL) gene expression and secretion,as well as cell proliferation. Animal models implanted with these cell lines developed larger tumors and PRL elevations. Treatment with ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) led to regression of tumors xenografted into these animals and attenuated PRL secretion. Primary culture of human prolactinomas confirmed expression of ErbB receptors and inhibitory effects of TKIs on PRL secretion and cell proliferation. Based on these exciting preliminary data, the objective of this new proposal is to conduct a Phase IIa clinical trial as a trenchant test of our translational hypothesis that tyrosine kinase inhibition constitutes highly effective targeted biologic therapy for these hitherto refractory pituitary adenomas. Specifically, our aims are to test the: 1) efficacy of TKI therapy with a clinical trial; 2) threshold level of tumor receptor expression to achieve TKI clinical response. Nineteen subjects will be treated with lapatinib for 6 months in combination with their current dopamine agonist therapy, with monthly measurements of PRL levels and MRI imaging every 3 months to evaluate the primary endpoints of achieving 40% reduction in tumor size and 50% reduction in PRL and secondary endpoints of radiologic stabilization and/or reduction and PRL normalization. Mean ErbB receptor protein expression will be compared between responders to lapatinib and non-responders by immunohistochemistry in pituitary tumor samples of these subjects collected from prior surgeries.
The study population consists of patients who undergo resection for somatostatin receptor-positive (SSTR-positive) CNS tumors, focusing on meningioma, and including esthesioneuroblastoma, hemangioblastoma, medulloblastoma, paraganglioma, pituitary adenoma, and SSTR-positive systemic cancers metastatic to the brain, such as small cell carcinoma of the lung. The study indication is to determine the diagnostic utility of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/MRI in the diagnosis and management of patients with SSTR-positive CNS tumors, specifically whether 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/MRI demonstrates utility distinguishing between tumor recurrence and post-treatment change. To date, the utility of Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI in meningioma has not been explored. Investigators have over the past 3 months been able to accrue the largest case series of presently 12 patients in whom Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI demonstrated utility in the assessment of meningioma, including assessment for postsurgical/postradiation recurrence, detection of additional lesions not visualized on MRI alone, and evaluation of osseous invasion. Based on this initial experience, investigators intend to study the impact of Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI in the assessment of the extent of residual tumor in patients status post meningioma resection, specifically in patients in whom tumor location limits resectability, patients with World Health Organization (WHO) grade II/III disease, and patients with history of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) who develop postradiation change.
The purpose of this study is to test if PET scans using 89Zr-DFO-cRGDY-PEG-Cy5-C' dot particles, can be used to take pictures of brain tumors. The investigators want to understand how the particles are distributed and removed from the body, which may help others be treated in the future. This will be the first time that 89Zr-DFO-cRGDY-PEG-Cy5-C' dot particles are being used in people. The amount of particles given in this study is very small compared to the amount that was used in mice animal studies.
To find out whether oral antibiotics given after transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery for pituitary adenoma improves sinus and nasal symptoms, reduces the incidence of infection (sinusitis), and helps mucosal healing in the nasal passages.
Delayed post-operative hyponatremia occurs in 5-20% of patients following pituitary surgery and typically occurs on post-operative day 5-10.This decline in sodium can occur rapidly and have serious consequences such as altered mental status, seizures, coma, and even death. Despite significant research into patient demographics and risk factors, the investigators have not been able to predict which patients will suffer from delayed post-operative hyponatremia to date. At the Barrow Neurological Institute, physicians currently utilize an outpatient screening protocol to monitor patients' sodium levels after surgery, but this has yet to be effective for reducing readmissions following pituitary surgery. The etiology of delayed post-operative hyponatremia has been linked to water and sodium dysregulation in the post-operative period. It has been shown that post-operative day 1-2 sodium levels are statistically lower in patients who develop delayed hyponatremia, however, the numerical differences are not large enough to guide clinical management. The investigators propose that a water load on post-operative day 1 may expose underlying sodium/water dysregulation in the early post-operative period. This would improve physicians' understanding of the pathophysiology of post-operative hyponatremia, and it may help to serve as a screening tool for these patients in the future.
This is a prospective, multi-center observational study designed to address patient-reported nasal outcomes in adults undergoing endoscopic and microscopic surgical removal of pituitary tumors. The primary objective of this study is to determine the difference in nasal outcomes by using the Anterior Skull Base (ASK) Nasal survey between patients treated with endoscopic surgical technique and those treated with microscopic surgical technique. Patients will be given the ASK Nasal survey to assess their nasal functioning and overall health before their surgery, and at post-operative visits 1-2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
Lentiginosis refers to groups of diseases marked by the presence of pigmented spots on the skin. These conditions are most commonly associated with multiple tumors and changes in hormone producing glands. The cause of these diseases is unknown, but researchers suggest there may be a level of inheritance involved in their development. Meaning to say that some of these diseases may "run in the family" and be passed down form generation to generation. Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) is a pituitary-independent, primary adrenal form of hypercortisolism characterized by; 1. Resistance to suppression by the drug dexamethasone 2. The body is unable to secrete cortisol in a normal rhythm 3. Distinct microscopic changes of both adrenal glands PPNAD can be associated with tumors (myxomas) of the skin, heart, breast, tumors (swannomas) of the nerve sheaths, pigmented spots (nevi and lentigines) of the skin, growth hormone (GH) producing tumors of the pituitary gland, and tumors of the testicles, ovaries, and thyroid gland. In the presence of these associations the condition is referred to as the Carney Complex. Presently there are no tests for screening of PPNAD and the Carney Complex. In addition, it is unknown how these conditions are genetically transferred from generation to generation. This study proposes to use standard methods of clinical testing for endocrine and nonendocrine diseases and genetic testing in order to; 1. Define the genetic basis for PPNAD and/or the Carney Complex. 2. Determine the molecular changes associated with the development of the tumors. 3. Identify carriers of the disease. 4. Determine the prognosis for carriers and affected individuals. 5. Provide sufficient data for genetic counseling of families with PPNAD and/or Carney Complex.\<TAB\>...
Background: Pituitary tumors can cause problems by secreting hormones in the body. They can also problems by growing large and pushing on organs near the pituitary gland. The best treatment for such tumors is to remove them by surgery. But that may be sometimes difficult. Some tumors maybe too small to see. Some other tumors maybe so large that portions maybe left behind during surgery. The endosphenoidal coil (ESC) is a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. It fits in a small space made during surgery near the pituitary. Researchers want to see if it helps transmit MRI signals during surgery to make better images of the pituitary gland and tumors. Objective: To test the safety of using a new coil device to improve MRI imaging of pituitary tumors during surgery. Eligibility: Adults 18-85 years old who are having pituitary tumor surgery at NIH Design: Participants will be screened with: * Medical history * Physical exam * Review of prior brain scans * Blood and pregnancy tests All participants will have MRI of pituitary gland. They will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They will lie still and get earplugs for loud sounds. A dye will be inserted into an arm vein by needle. Participants will stay in the hospital for about 1 week. They will repeat screening tests. Participants will have standard pituitary surgery. They will get medicine to go to sleep. The surgeon will create a path to the pituitary gland from under the lip. During surgery, the ESC will be placed through the path to near the pituitary. Then an MRI will be done during surgery. Then the ESC will be removed and standard surgery will continue. Participants will get standard post-operative care under another protocol.
This is a phase II, open-label, 12-month pilot study in 10 patients with silent corticotroph pituitary tumors testing the hypotheses that Pasireotide long-acting release (LAR) treatment of patients with silent corticotroph pituitary tumors and elevated plasma Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) levels will reduce plasma POMC levels and this will be associated with a reduction in pituitary tumor size. Pasireotide LAR 40 mg will be administered monthly. Baseline and monthly visits on therapy will monitor plasma levels of POMC, other pituitary function, safety labs, glucose tolerance, physical examination, and visual fields. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be done at baseline, 6 months and 12 months of therapy. The eligible patient population will consist of adult patients with known silent corticotroph pituitary tumors and elevated plasma levels of POMC.
If someone is diagnosed with a pituitary tumor that causes acromegaly (too much growth hormone) the treatment is to have it surgically removed. This study has two phases. The first phase provides medical treatment with a drug that will be provided for 3 months before surgery to see if complications of surgery are reduced and to see whether or not remission improves following surgery if you have this medical treatment. The drug administered is approved by the FDA for long-term treatment of acromegaly. It is not routinely administered before surgery, and is therefore experimental as used in this way. All other procedures performed during this research are standard of care with the exception of the 3 questionnaires to be completed at each visit. The second phase of this study is from 3 months until 12 months after surgery and is only for people who do not go into remission after the operation. This phase assesses the possible remission of acromegaly after resuming the drug treatment for an additional 3 to 9 months. The drug will be prescribed by your physician as part of your regular medical care and will not be included as part of the study. All other procedures performed during this research are standard of care with the exception of the 3 questionnaires to be completed at each visit. The study lasts approximately 16 months - 3 month before surgery and 12 months after surgery.
Characterization of receptors present in non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas by Reverse Transcriptase- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) would assist with targeted medical therapy based on the information obtained by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.
Objective: This protocol is designed to allow evaluation of participants neurosurgical disorders that receive care within the Surgical Neurology Branch. The participants will receive standard-of-clinical-care evaluation and treatment. The clinical data and samples generated during standard of care treatment will be collected as a part of this study. Study Population: Participants 4 years of age and older with neurosurgical-related conditions seeking care from, or referred to the Surgical Neurology Branch for evaluation are eligible for this protocol. Study Design: This is an observational study. Participants will receive standard-of- clinical-care evaluation and treatment for their neurosurgical condition. Clinical evaluation may include laboratory and radiological studies designed to aid in diagnosis or differential diagnosis of the participant s condition or to facilitate treatment. The evaluations may take place in the outpatient clinic areas or in the inpatient units. Some participants will receive standard-of-care medical or surgical treatment for their disorder. Clinical data, tissue samples or body fluids obtained during standard of care treatment, may be used for research. Additional genetic testing may be performed on subjects and their blood relatives if a genetic mechanism underlying the neurological disorder is suspected. Patients in this study may choose to consent to skin biopsies for research purposes, in which case they will sign an additional consent document for thesethis research procedure. Outcome Measures: No additional research outcome measures will be tracked in this study, as this study is collecting data for potential future use. All outcomes will be those of standard clinical evaluation and treatment. A clinical and research database will be kept of patient s diagnosis, progression, and treatment. Clinical database information may be reported or be used in other studies.
Presently, patients with primary malignant brain tumors have a life expectancy of 15 weeks following surgery unless they receive additional types of therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or immunotherapy). Patients that receive additional therapy can increase life expectancy to 50 weeks. The statistics on the life expectancy and survival have increased efforts among researchers to develop new treatments for primary malignant brain tumors. This research project involves the growth and study of human brain tumor cells outside the body in the laboratory as part of an attempt to better understand these tumors and to develop more effective treatments for them.
This phase II trial studies how well hypofractionated proton or photon radiation therapy works in treating patients with brain tumors. Hypofractionated radiation therapy delivers higher doses of radiation therapy over a shorter period of time and may kill more tumor cells. A shorter duration of radiation treatment may avoid some of the delayed side effects of radiation while providing a more convenient treatment and reducing costs.
This phase I/II clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097 and to see how well it works in treating young patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors, CNS tumors, lymphoma, or T-cell leukemia. Gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097 may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.
The purpose of this study is to determine if administration of pasireotide LAR for one year to three patients with gonadotroph adenomas and elevated serum FSH concentrations will reduce the serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to normal and reduce the adenoma size.
Participants in study C-1073-400 (NCT00569582) will be invited to participate in this extension study to examine the long term safety of mifepristone in the treatment of the signs and symptoms of endogenous Cushing's syndrome. Total treatment duration may be up to 12 months or longer at the discretion of the Investigator.