Clinical trials

This is a prospective, interventional, non-randomized, phase 2 study to assess oncologic outcomes of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) patients who receive a risk-adapted treatment approach followed by treatment de-escalation at the Medstar Health network. A pragmatic design will be implemented in order to make the study available to patients at greatest needs from minority populations in the community. Additional assessments include quality-of-life (QoL) and sexual function changes as well as correlative studies. A maximum of 108 patients will be enrolled in this study. The investigators hypothesize that with a risk-adapted treatment approach followed by treatment de-escalation, more than 50% of patients will have radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) at 36 months. Additionally, the investigators hypothesize that the risk-stratified de-escalation approach will result in fewer treatment-related adverse events and better QoL, compared to historical controls.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about neoadjuvant cemiplimab with histology-specific chemotherapy followed by resection and adjuvant cemiplimab in stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with select N3 lymph node involvement or other high-risk subsets in which there is no consensus on resectability. The main question it aims to answer is whether patients with stage 3 NSCLC with involvement of lymph nodes can undergo surgery to remove the cancer after receiving treatment with chemotherapy + immunotherapy. Participants will receive FDA-approved chemotherapy called platinum-doublet chemotherapy together with an immunotherapy drug targeting the immune marker PD-1 called cemiplimab. Patients will receive a 3 drug combination for 4 total treatments given every 3 weeks before surgery. After surgery, patients will have the option to undergo radiation therapy if it is recommended by their treatment team. After this, they will receive cemiplimab every 3 weeks for one year.

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if Five-fraction CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with real-time Synchrony® motion tracking can treat ultra-central nonsmall cell lung cancer while reducing the amount of serious side effects from SBRT. Participants will * receive radiation treatment every other day over two weeks using a machine called the CyberKnife®, which uses a technology called Synchrony® motion management, which tracks your tumor in real time as it moves with your breathing. This allows the radiation beam to follow your tumor during treatment, helping to deliver the radiation more accurately to the tumor while reducing the dose to nearby healthy organs. * return for follow up visits after treatment at months 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and then every year for 5 years to be evaluated * complete questionnaires before and after treatment.

Postoperative immobilization with a hard cervical collar following posterior cervical fusion remains common practice despite limited evidence demonstrating improved clinical outcomes. This is a prospective, multi-site, randomized clinical trial evaluating postoperative hard cervical collar use following posterior cervical fusion for degenerative cervical spine disease. Eligible patients will be randomized to either wear an FDA-approved hard cervical collar (Aspen Cervical Collar, Aspen Vista Cervical Collar, or Miami J Cervical Collar) for 6 weeks after surgery or receive no cervical collar. Patient-reported outcomes will be collected before surgery and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. The primary outcome is radiographic fusion success at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include neck disability, neck and arm pain, quality of life, patient satisfaction, wound infection, adverse events, and other postoperative complications. Radiographic fusion will be evaluated by blinded radiologists. The results of this study will help determine whether routine postoperative cervical collar use improves outcomes following posterior cervical fusion.

This phase II trial tests how well gemcitabine, cisplatin and nab-paclitaxel given before surgery (neoadjuvant) works in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery (resectable) or that is borderline resectable. The standard treatment for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer is a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant therapy is more feasible and could improve outcomes compared to patients receiving surgery first. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making DNA and may kill tumor cells. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Nab-paclitaxel is an albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel, an antimicrotubule agent that stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Nab-paclitaxel may have fewer side effects and work better than other forms of paclitaxel. Gemcitabine, cisplatin and nab-paclitaxel may be an effective neoadjuvant treatment option for patients with resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of systemic therapy on cognition in older breast cancer patients, explore change in APE, LM and Cognition domains, measure associations between cognitive decline and QOL, and describe how genetic polymorphisms, inflammatory biomarkers, sleep and physical measures moderate cognitive outcomes. This study is being done nationally, with recruiting sites at Georgetown University, Montgomery General Hospital, Virginia Cancer Specialists, Washington Hospital Center, Reston Breast Care Specialists, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Moffitt Cancer Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Indiana University and University of California, Los Angeles.

This is an exploratory phase 2a study to investigate two doses of resveratrol (JotrolTM) vs placebo in individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Participants (n=30) will be randomized 1:1:1 into 3 groups and will receive oral JotrolTM vs placebo. Study drug will be titrated to reach a final maximal dose per group and will be administered orally once daily (QD) for 3 months. The study will primarily evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of JotrolTM.

The goal of this clinical trial is to study the effect of sacituzumab govitecan-hziy in adult patients with advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma after progressing on at least one prior line of therapy. The main question it aims to answer is: • What is the overall response rate (ORR) in patients with advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma? Participants will: * receive a fixed dose of 10 mg/kg given intravenously, once weekly on Days 1 and 8 of continuous 21-day treatment cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity * have regular blood tests, scans, and examinations to monitor their health. * have blood and a biopsy of their tumor for research purposes.

The BRIGHT (Behavioral Rehabilitation Through Image-Guided Home-based Training) study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of image-guided, home-based perceptual training at improving visual performance in individuals with visual field loss. Using a prospective, crossover design, BRIGHT combines visual behavioral testing, neuroimaging, and a home-based intervention. It aims to 1) identify neural pathways that support training-induced visual plasticity; and 2) compare the efficacy of different types of visual training delivered in a home-based setting.

The VIBRANT (Vision Improvement through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training) study is a prospective, double-blind, crossover design (within-subject) in participants with homonymous hemianopia-a type of visual field loss resulting from damage to the post-chiasmatic visual pathways. It aims to investigate whether transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training has potential for improving visual impairments.

This is a phase II trial of combination therapy of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cervical cancer that had failed first line of therapy. The hypothesis is the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab will overcome vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated immunosuppression to enhance the response of patients with locally advanced or metastatic cervical cancer.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the safety of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) microboost technique in patients with low to intermediate risk prostate cancer. The main question it aims to answer is: Is microboost SBRT with whole gland de-escalation both safe and effective in managing patients with low to intermediate-risk prostate cancer while maintaining acceptable toxicity levels? All patients will receive microboost SBRT at a dose of 45 Gy delivered in 5 fractions in up to 4 MRI-defined lesions. Patients (Arm 1) with highest grade disease in the microboost target lesion in the absence of GG2-3 beyond the microboost target (only GG1 disease can be present outside of the microboost region) will receive whole gland de-escalation at a dose of 30 Gy delivered in 5 fractions. Patients (Arm 2) with highest grade disease outside of the target lesion will receive whole gland de-escalation at a dose of 35 Gy delivered in 5 fractions. Participants will be treated every other day over a two week period and then follow up after radiation treament for up to 5 years. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and provide blood and urine samples for research purposes.

The study will compare 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training, compared to a control group that does not receive the intervention, on anxiety and depression symptom severity in patients with diagnosed anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder) or major depressive disorder.

The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public hysteria? In this study, the investigators will conduct the first field experiment in 10-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.

The goal of this study is to increase genetic education and genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk among prostate cancer survivors. The study will: Test the effectiveness of a digital guide (DG+) vs. print guide (Print+) vs. enhanced usual care (EUC) on engagement in genetic education and uptake of genetic testing. Evaluate the impact of the DG+ vs. Print+ vs. EUC on the process that participants use to make decisions and evaluate effects on well-being (also called psychosocial outcomes). Explore the ways (methods) that influence how participants experience the intervention. The main questions this study aims to answer are: which group - the digital guide (DG+) group, print (Print+) group or the EUC group - is more likely to request genetic testing and which group is more likely to get (engage with) genetic education. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the digital guide (DG+) group, the print guide (Print+) group or EUC group. Each group will receive genetic education and have an opportunity to request genetic testing. Researchers will compare the three groups to determine which is most most likely to complete genetic testing (GT) and which group engages more with genetic education.

The goal of this study is to test bundled familial cancer risk assessment + multicancer (colorectal + breast) vs. single (breast) cancer navigation, using a wait list control for colorectal cancer screening referral and navigation. Among those eligible, this study will test usual care referral to genetic services vs. pretest education + usual care referral. The study also will assess how bundled multicancer navigation works and for whom it is most effective through a multisite, mixed-methods patient- and organization-level process evaluation.

The study will compare the delivery of an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training, in-person against video-conference, on anxiety and depression symptom severity in patients with diagnosed anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder) or major depressive disorder or dysthymia.

The current standard treatment option for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer is full-dose radiation combined with chemotherapy. Results with chemotherapy combined with full-dose radiation therapy leads to high rates of cure; this has called into question whether therapy can be decreased in intensity since both chemotherapy and radiation have long-term side effects. One approach to decrease intensity of treatment is to give radiation alone (excluding chemotherapy) and to decrease radiation therapy dose. The investigator believes that omitting chemotherapy and decreasing radiation dose both to tumor and the regions of the head and neck at highest risk of potential spread, may have no significant impact on the cancer recurring while potentially leading to fewer long-term side effects.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether for intermediate-risk patients who have undergone Transoral Robotic Surgery for HPV/p16(+) oropharyngeal cancer and have minimal smoking history, whether these patients can be treated with a lower-than standard dose, with omission of the primary site in the oropharynx. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does radiotherapy site and dose-de-escalation lead to similar outcomes compared to historical data on tumor control in patients who are treated with standard radiation doses and treatment fields? Participants will: Undergo treatment with a lower than standard radiation dose (50Gy in 25 fractions, with either Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) or proton beam therapy) and to a smaller than standard radiation field (to the neck only, excluding the original site of tumor in the oropharynx)

This is a phase IB/II study with a 3+3 dose de-escalation study design. Patients will continue maintenance treatment with CPX-351 for 6 cycles on D1 and D3, as long as patient remains in CR. The dose de-escalation will be one dose given on D1 only, every 28 days pending toxicity. The maximum tolerated dose will be used for the phase II expansion portion of the study.

This is a phase II trial of durvalumab and tremelimumab in combination of platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with stage IV Non-Small-Cell-Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection will be eligible. Patients will receive standard platinum-based chemotherapy plus durvalumab for 4 cycles (every 3 weeks), followed by durvalumab (with or without pemetrexed for non-squamous NSCLC) maintenance therapy. It is hypothesized that Durvalumab and tremelimumab in combination with standard chemotherapy is safe and effective for the treatment of stage IV NSCLC in patients with HIV infection.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the safety of NEROFE and doxorubicin and how well it works in patients with advanced/unresectable or metastatic solid KRAS-mutated and ST-positive solid tumors. The main question it aims to answer is to find the recommended dose and scheduled for the combination of NEROFE and doxorubicin. Participants will receive weekly doses of NEROFE and doxorubicin.

The purpose of this study is to identify the effectiveness of a bundle of strategies to support continuation of clients on pre-exposure prophylaxis, including long-acting injectable cabotegravir and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis to high priority groups.

Primary Objective To compare two smoking cessation interventions among individuals undergoing lung cancer screening. Primary outcomes are: 3-month self-reported abstinence from cigarettes and 6-month self-reported and bioverified abstinence from cigarettes. Secondary Objectives 1) To evaluate reach and engagement overall and by subgroup (e.g., race and ethnicity, underinsured, readiness to quit). 2) To conduct an economic analysis to evaluate intervention costs from the health system perspective.

The investigators will conduct a 2-arm 6-month randomized clinical controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral Telehealth Intervention (THI) in preventing cancer-related oral complications, improving oral health maintenance and oral health related quality of life, and reducing systemic inflammation compared to Usual Care (UC) among unselected cancer survivors.