Clinical trials

The goal of this study is to evaluate if a shorter course of therapy can improve the quality of life in patients receiving radiation therapy after trans-oral robotic surgery.

This phase III trial tests how well the addition of dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy works for treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to a molecule called GD2, which is found on the surface of neuroblastoma cells, but is not present on many healthy or normal cells in the body. When dinutuximab binds to the neuroblastoma cells, it helps signal the immune system to kill the tumor cells. This helps the cells of the immune system kill the cancer cells, this is a type of immunotherapy. When chemotherapy and immunotherapy are given together, during the same treatment cycle, it is called chemoimmunotherapy. This clinical trial randomly assigns patients to receive either standard chemotherapy and surgery or chemoimmunotherapy (chemotherapy plus dinutuximab) and surgery during Induction therapy. Chemotherapy drugs administered during Induction include, cyclophosphamide, topotecan, cisplatin, etoposide, vincristine, and doxorubicin. These drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing or by stopping them from spreading. Upon completion of 5 cycles of Induction therapy, a disease evaluation is completed to determine how well the treatment worked. If the tumor responds to therapy, patients receive a tandem transplantation with stem cell rescue. If the tumor has little improvement or worsens, patients receive chemoimmunotherapy on Extended Induction. During Extended Induction, dinutuximab is given with irinotecan, temozolomide. Patients with a good response to therapy move on to Consolidation therapy, when very high doses of chemotherapy are given at two separate points to kill any remaining cancer cells. Following, transplant, radiation therapy is given to the site where the cancer originated (primary site) and to any other areas that are still active at the end of Induction. The final stage of therapy is Post-Consolidation. During Post-Consolidation, dinutuximab is given with isotretinoin, with the goal of maintaining the response achieved with the previous therapy. Adding dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy may be better at treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma.

This pilot trial assesses the effect of the combination of blinatumomab with dasatinib or imatinib and standard chemotherapy for treating patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) or ABL-class Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-like) B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Blinatumomab is a bispecific antibody that binds to two different proteins-one on the surface of cancer cells and one on the surface of cells in the immune system. An antibody is a protein made by the immune system to help fight infections and other harmful processes/cells/molecules. Blinatumomab may bind to the cancer cell and a T cell (which plays a key role in the immune system's fighting response) at the same time. Blinatumomab may strengthen the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells by activating the body's own immune cells to destroy the tumor. Dasatinib and imatinib are in a class of medications called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. They work by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply, which may help keep cancer cells from growing. Giving blinatumomab and dasatinib or imatinib in combination with standard chemotherapy may work better in treating patients with Ph+ or Ph-like ABL-class B-ALL than dasatinib or imatinib with chemotherapy.

This phase II trial tests effects of nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy drugs prior to radiation therapy patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 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. Chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, 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, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Researchers want to find out what effects, good and/or bad, adding nivolumab to chemotherapy has on patients with newly diagnosed NPC. In addition, they want to find out if children with NPC may be treated with less radiation therapy and whether this decreases the side effects of therapy.

This phase I/II trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of selinexor given in combination with standard radiation therapy in treating children and young adults with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) or high-grade glioma (HGG) with a genetic change called H3 K27M mutation. It also tests whether combination of selinexor and standard radiation therapy works to shrink tumors in this patient population. Glioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the brain or spine. Glioma is considered high risk (or high-grade) when it is growing and spreading quickly. The term, risk, refers to the chance of the cancer coming back after treatment. DIPG is a subtype of HGG that grows in the pons (a part of the brainstem that controls functions like breathing, swallowing, speaking, and eye movements). This trial has two parts. The only difference in treatment between the two parts is that some subjects treated in Part 1 may receive a different dose of selinexor than the subjects treated in Part 2. In Part 1 (also called the Dose-Finding Phase), investigators want to determine the dose of selinexor that can be given without causing side effects that are too severe. This dose is called the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). In Part 2 (also called the Efficacy Phase), investigators want to find out how effective the MTD of selinexor is against HGG or DIPG. Selinexor blocks a protein called CRM1, which may help keep cancer cells from growing and may kill them. It is a type of small molecule inhibitor called selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINE). Radiation therapy uses high energy to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. The combination of selinexor and radiation therapy may be effective in treating patients with newly-diagnosed DIPG and H3 K27M-Mutant HGG.

This phase II trial compares the effect of FDG-positron emission tomography (PET)-guided metastasis directed radiation therapy (MDRT) in combination with standard treatments to standard treatments alone in treating patients with prostate cancer that is sensitive to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, despite the approval of several life-prolonging treatments by the Food and Drug Administration. However, over the past 10 years, there have been significant improvements in prolonging the lives of those with metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer, specifically by adding treatments to standard therapy, such as ADT. More recently, trials have demonstrated a benefit of using radiotherapy (high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors) to delay the progression of cancer and prolong life for patients with metastatic disease. Imaging scans with FDG-PET may be able to identify cancer sites that remain active despite standard treatment. Giving MDRT plus standard treatment to patients with FDG-PET-identified cancer sites may work better than standard treatment alone in treating metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer.

This phase III trial studies how well standard systemic therapy with or without definitive treatment (prostate removal surgery or radiation therapy) works in treating participants with prostate cancer that has spread to other places in the body. Addition of prostate removal surgery or radiation therapy to standard systemic therapy for prostate cancer may lower the chance of the cancer growing or spreading.

This phase II trial studies how well chemotherapy with or without radiation or surgery works in treating participants with esophageal or gastric cancer that has spread to less than 3 places in the body (oligometastatic). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 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. Surgery, such as complete surgical resection, may stop the spread of tumor cells by surgically removing organs or tumors. Giving chemotherapy with radiation or surgery may work better than chemotherapy alone in treating participants with oligometastatic esophageal or gastric cancer.

This phase II trial tests the addition of chemotherapy, with carboplatin and paclitaxel, or chemo-immunotherapy, with carboplatin, paclitaxel and cemiplimab to standard salvage surgery followed by post operative radiation therapy and cisplatin for high risk patients, for the treatment of patients with PD-L1 positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has come back and spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes after a period of improvement (locally recurrent) or is persistent. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cemiplimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Salvage surgery is surgery that takes place to remove tumor tissue after a failure of other treatment. High risk patients also receive radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Adding chemotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy to standard salvage surgery may kill more tumor cells than salvage surgery alone in patients with PD-L1 positive locally recurrent or persistent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

This phase II trial compares the use of pembrolizumab and radiation therapy to chemotherapy with cisplatin, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin-C and radiation therapy for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin-C, 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, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Giving pembrolizumab with radiation may kill more tumor cells than chemotherapy with radiation therapy in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

This phase II trial compares the effect of chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) with versus without cemiplimab given before surgery (neoadjuvant) in patients with sinonasal squamous cell cancer. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cemiplimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. The usual approach for patients with sinonasal squamous cell cancer is surgery followed by radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy. Recently, some patients have also been treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery. Adding cemiplimab to chemotherapy before surgery may be more effective at stopping the cancer from growing or spreading, compared to chemotherapy alone.

This clinical trial evaluates the effect of radiotherapy doses based on tumor size and tumor-specific characteristics (biologically-adapted) in treating patients with Ewing sarcoma. Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Conventional radiotherapy uses minimal imaging support to determine the positioning of radiotherapy. Hypofractionated radiotherapy delivers higher doses of radiotherapy over a shorter period of time and may kill more tumor cells and have fewer side effects. Dose-escalated radiotherapy uses doses that are higher than those used in conventional radiotherapy. Larger tumor sizes and other tumor-specific characteristics have been shown to be related to poorer outcomes. In addition, after dose-escalated radiotherapy, patients with larger tumors have demonstrated improved control of the disease at the primary tumor site. Giving biologically-adapted, dose-escalated radiotherapy may reduce the return of the cancer at the primary tumor site in patients with Ewing sarcoma with large tumors and other unfavorable characteristics. This clinical trial also evaluates the role of biomarkers in patients with Ewing sarcoma. Studying samples of blood and tumor tissue from patients with Ewing sarcoma in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about predicting the amount of disease and the likelihood of the cancer coming back.

This phase III trial tests if gabapentin can prevent the need for opiate pain medication for mouth sores (oral mucositis) in patients undergoing treatment with chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. Oral mucositis is a common side effect of radiation treatment and can cause severe pain, dysphagia, and weight loss resulting in feeding tube placement, worse health-related quality of life, treatment interruptions, unplanned hospitalizations, and significant financial burden. Mucositis pain is often treated with opioid pain medications which do provide pain relief but have many known side effects not limited to mental clouding, constipation, fatigue, endocrinopathy, neurotoxicity, sleep-disordered breathing, and most distressingly persistent opioid use. Gabapentin may help relieve pain from oral mucositis caused by radiation while also reducing the need for opiate pain medications for patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region

NRG-CC016 is being done to determine if omission of radiation therapy (RT) for patients with biosignature Low Risk (DCISionRT score less than 2.8) DCIS yields no clinically meaningful increase ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) compared to those treated with RT (Cohort A).

The purpose of this research is to test the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug ruxolitinib when it is combined with standard of care treatment (radiation therapy and temozolomide) for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Half the people in the study will be assigned to take the study drug ruxolitinib in addition to the standard of care temozolomide and radiation therapy and the other half will be assigned to the standard of care temozolomide and radiation therapy only. This assignment will be randomized in a 1-to-1 ratio, like the flip of a coin.

This phase I trial finds out the possible benefits and/or side effects of radiosurgery before surgery (preoperative) in treating patients with high grade glioma. Radiosurgery uses special equipment to position the patient and precisely give a single large dose of radiation to the tumor. This method may kill tumor cells with fewer doses over a shorter period and cause less damage to normal tissue. Giving pre-operative radiosurgery may improve the odds of brain tumor control and reduce treatment-related side effects.

This is a global, open-label, randomized, 2-arm, Investigator's choice Phase 3 (Pivotal Stage) study to investigate the efficacy and safety of JNJ-90301900 (NBTXR3) / radiation therapy (RT)±cetuximab versus RT±cetuximab in treatment-naïve, platinum-ineligible, elderly participants with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).

This phase I/II trial tests the safety, side effects best dose and how well giving fluorouracil and tretinoin along with standard of care radiation therapy works for the treatment of high risk posterior fossa ependymoma that has not spread to other parts of the body (localized). Fluorouracil is a type medication called an antimetabolite. It works by stopping cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Tretinoin, also called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), retinoic acid, and vitamin A acid is in a class of medications called retinoids. It is made in the body from vitamin A and helps cells to grow and develop, especially in the embryo. Laboratory made form of tretinoin works by slowing or stopping the growth of tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving fluorouracil and tretinoin along with standard of care radiation therapy may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating patients with localized high risk posterior fossa ependymoma.

This study is being done to test whether adding two drugs-disulfiram and copper gluconate-to radiation therapy can help overcome this resistance and improve treatment outcomes. When disulfiram is combined with copper, it forms a substance that may increase stress within cancer cells and lead to a specific type of cancer cell death knowns as "cuproptosis".

This phase I/Ib trial tests the safety and best dose of ipatasertib in combination with the usual treatment approach using chemotherapy together with radiation therapy ("chemo-radiation") in patients with head and neck cancer. Ipatasertib is in a class of medications called protein kinase B (AKT) inhibitors. It may stop the growth of tumor cells and may kill them. Cisplatin, which is a chemotherapy used in this trial, is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high energy to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving ipatasertib in combination with chemo-radiation may be better than chemo-radiation alone in treating patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

This phase II trial studies the best approach to combine chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) based on the patient's response to induction chemotherapy in patients with non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) that have not spread to other parts of the brain or body (localized). This study has 2 goals: 1) optimizing radiation for patients who respond well to induction chemotherapy to diminish spinal cord relapses, 2) utilizing higher dose chemotherapy followed by conventional RT in patients who did not respond to induction chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs, such as carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide, and thiotepa, 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 or high-energy protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Studies have shown that patients with newly-diagnosed localized NGGCT, whose disease responds well to chemotherapy before receiving radiation therapy, are more likely to be free of the disease for a longer time than are patients for whom the chemotherapy does not efficiently eliminate or reduce the size of the tumor. The purpose of this study is to see how well the tumors respond to induction chemotherapy to decide what treatment to give next. Some patients will be given RT to the spine and a portion of the brain. Others will be given high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant before RT to the whole brain and spine. Giving treatment based on the response to induction chemotherapy may lower the side effects of radiation in some patients and adjust the therapy to a more efficient one for other patients with localized NGGCT.

This phase II trial compares repeat radiation therapy (RT) to standard drug treatment alone in treating patients with stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has come back after initial radiation at or adjacent to the site of the original tumor (locally recurrent). Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy drugs used in standard drug treatment 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. Immunotherapy drugs used in standard drug treatment may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Targeted therapy drugs used in standard treatment identify and attack specific tumor cells. This trial may help doctors determine whether repeat RT delays the cancer from growing or spreading by 6 months or more after initial radiation compared to standard drug treatment alone in patients with stage II-III locally recurrent NSCLC.

GIANT is an open-label, multi-center, randomized, perioperative (neoadjuvant followed by adjuvant), phase 2 trial with a safety lead-in phase to investigate the feasibility, safety and tolerability, and establish the biological activity of nivolumab with or without relatlimab in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wildtype newly diagnosed glioblastoma (ndGBM).

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of abemaciclib and how well it works with radiation therapy before surgery in treating patients with high-risk adipocytic retroperitoneal sarcoma. Abemaciclib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving abemaciclib together with radiation therapy before surgery may shrink tumors in patients with high-risk adipocytic retroperitoneal sarcoma.

This is a pragmatic trial with patients randomized between standard of care palliative thoracic radiation therapy (RT) vs. hypofractionated, dose-escalated, esophageal-sparing (HD-ES) intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The investigators hypothesize that the use of advanced radiation planning techniques to optimize dose to esophagus will permit the safe delivery of a modestly dose-escalated five-fraction course of palliative radiation to intrathoracic malignancies. This approach aims to deliver higher biologically effective doses while improving toxicity when compared to conventional approaches with the goal of prolonging high-quality overall survival.