Fort Dodge

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of pembrolizumab combined with sacituzumab govitecan-hziy compared to the standard chemotherapy treatments in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. This Phase III trial focuses on cancers that have spread to nearby tissues, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body. The study aims to compare overall survival and other outcomes such as progression-free survival, response rates, clinical benefits, duration of response, and treatment toxicity between the two treatment approaches. Quality of life and fatigue are also assessed as secondary measures. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group receives standard of care chemotherapy, which may include carboplatin or cisplatin combined with gemcitabine, or alternatively docetaxel or paclitaxel, administered intravenously in cycles every 21 days for up to six cycles, unless the disease progresses or side effects become unacceptable. The other group receives sacituzumab govitecan-hziy intravenously on days 1 and 8, along with pembrolizumab intravenously on day 1 of each 21-day cycle, continuing for up to 35 cycles or two years, unless there is disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Throughout the study, participants undergo regular blood sample collections and imaging scans using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to monitor their condition. Quality of life questionnaires are also completed to assess symptoms and fatigue over time. After treatment ends, patients are followed up 30 days later and then annually for up to five years to evaluate long-term outcomes and safety. The main outcome measured is overall survival from the time of randomization up to five years.

Researchers are evaluating two treatment combinations for patients with melanoma that has spread to the brain and has a specific BRAF-V600 mutation. This phase II trial compares encorafenib, binimetinib, and nivolumab against ipilimumab and nivolumab to determine which approach better controls and shrinks brain metastases from melanoma. The study also aims to assess overall survival, response rates, treatment duration, and side effects of each regimen. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives encorafenib orally once daily, binimetinib orally twice daily, and nivolumab intravenously every 28 days. The other group receives nivolumab intravenously and ipilimumab intravenously during the first four cycles, with cycles every 21 days initially, then every 28 days thereafter. Treatment continues unless the disease worsens or side effects become unacceptable. After treatment ends, participants have follow-up visits every six months for two years, then yearly until three years after starting the study. During the trial, participants undergo brain MRIs to monitor tumor response using standardized criteria. Imaging, tumor tissue, spinal fluid, stool, and blood samples are collected for research. Safety and effectiveness are carefully assessed through scans, physical exams, lab tests, and side effect monitoring. Progression-free survival up to three years after randomization is the main outcome. Participants remain in the study for about three years with periodic evaluations to track their health and disease status.

Researchers are investigating the addition of an immunotherapy drug called durvalumab to standard chemotherapy treatment in patients with MammaPrint High 2 Risk (MP2) stage II-III hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. This phase III trial aims to compare the effectiveness of usual chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy combined with durvalumab. Immunotherapy with durvalumab may help the immune system attack cancer cells and prevent tumor growth and spread, while chemotherapy drugs like paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide work to stop cancer cells from growing or dividing. Previous studies suggest patients with an MP2 result might respond better to this combined treatment approach. Participants first undergo MammaPrint testing to confirm MP2 status before randomization into two groups. One group receives paclitaxel intravenously on days 1 and 8 every 14 days for 6 cycles, followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide intravenously on day 1 every 14 days for 4 cycles. The other group receives the same chemotherapy schedule plus durvalumab intravenously over 60 minutes on specified cycles during both chemotherapy phases. Mammography is performed during screening, and optional tissue and blood samples are collected for future studies. Throughout the study, participants are monitored through various assessments including imaging, physical exams, laboratory tests, and quality of life questionnaires focusing on fatigue and physical and mental health. Researchers track breast cancer event-free survival and other outcomes such as treatment side effects and response rates. After completing treatment, patients are followed for up to 10 years or until death to evaluate long-term outcomes and safety.

Researchers are evaluating the addition of nivolumab to the usual treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab in patients with advanced or locally unresectable stomach or esophageal adenocarcinoma. This phase II/III trial aims to determine if adding nivolumab improves progression-free survival and overall survival compared to paclitaxel and ramucirumab alone. The study also assesses response rates, disease control, safety, tolerability, and quality of life in participants with PD-L1 CPS 21 1 advanced gastric or esophageal cancer. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. The first group receives nivolumab IV on day 1 of each 28-day cycle, ramucirumab IV on days 1 and 15, and paclitaxel IV on days 1, 8, and 15. The second group receives ramucirumab IV on days 1 and 15 and paclitaxel IV on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle. Treatment continues every 28 days until disease progression or unacceptable side effects occur. Optional blood samples may be collected during the study. Imaging with CT and MRI is performed throughout. Participants undergo scans and assessments at baseline and during treatment to monitor cancer progression and treatment effects. They also complete questionnaires on quality of life and symptoms. After treatment ends, participants are followed up at 30, 60, and 90 days and then every 6 months for up to 3 years. Researchers measure progression-free survival and overall survival as primary outcomes, along with other safety and patient-reported measures.

Researchers are evaluating the addition of olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, as maintenance therapy following surgery and chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer that has been surgically removed and who have a pathogenic mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 genes. This phase II randomized, double-blind study aims to determine if olaparib can improve relapse-free survival compared to placebo in these patients, who have completed perioperative chemotherapy and have no evidence of recurrent disease. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either olaparib or a placebo orally twice daily in 28-day cycles for up to 12 cycles, as long as there is no disease progression or unacceptable side effects. Throughout the treatment period, patients undergo imaging tests such as CT scans or MRI and blood sample collections. After completing the treatment cycles, patients are followed up at 30 days, every 4 months for the first year, and then every 6 months for up to 10 years after randomization to monitor their health and disease status. During the study, researchers assess relapse-free survival by documenting any return of cancer or death from 22 to 44 months after randomization. They also collect blood samples and perform imaging tests to monitor the disease and evaluate treatment effects. Safety is carefully monitored, and patients must have recovered from previous treatments before starting the study. The study includes long-term follow-up to observe survival outcomes and any differences based on genetic mutations or prior chemotherapy regimens.

This research evaluates the combination of two drugs, cabozantinib and nivolumab, in treating patients with advanced melanoma or squamous cell cancers of the head and neck that have spread locally or to distant parts of the body. The study focuses on how well patients can be grouped based on specific tumor biomarkers called tumor mutational burden and tumor inflammation signature. It also aims to understand if this drug combination can shrink or stabilize tumors and how responses vary with biomarker status. This is a phase II trial assessing both the feasibility of biomarker-based patient grouping and the treatment's overall response rate. Participants receive nivolumab intravenously once every 28-day cycle and take cabozantinib orally every day for up to two years unless the disease worsens or side effects become unacceptable. The study includes two stages focusing on molecular characterization and treatment efficacy. Patients undergo tumor biopsies at screening and optionally during follow-up, along with regular imaging scans like CT or MRI and blood sample collections throughout the study. During the trial, patients are closely monitored through scans, blood tests, and biopsies to track tumor response and safety. After treatment ends, follow-up visits occur every 12 weeks for one year and then every six months for up to three years. Key outcomes include the time to get biomarker results within 21 days and the overall tumor response rate at the end of the first stage. The study also assesses disease control, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety of the drug combination in relation to tumor biomarkers.

The goal of this trial is to determine the efficacy of advanced cognitive training for cancer survivors suffering from cancer- and cancer-treatment-related cognitive dysfunction. For millions of cancer survivors, cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent, severe, and persistent problem that has long been associated with poor work-related and health-related outcomes. Evidence suggests that a significant subset of breast cancer survivors (BCS) incur cognitive changes that may persist for years after treatment. Unfortunately, the scientific basis for managing these cognitive changes is extremely limited. Available evidence from pilot studies, including our work, suggests that advanced cognitive training, which is based on the principles of neuroplasticity (ability of brain neurons to re-organize and form new neural networks), may be a viable treatment option. However, previous trials to date have been limited by lack of attention-controlled designs, small samples of BCS, or limited outcome measures. Therefore, to overcome limitations of past studies and build on our pilot results, the purpose of this 2-group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial is to conduct a full-scale efficacy trial to compare advanced cognitive training to attention control in BCS.

Researchers are collecting blood and tissue samples from people with and without cancer to study and evaluate tests that could help detect cancer early. The goal is to create a blinded reference set of samples to validate blood-based tests for early detection of multiple types of cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, breast, lung, and others. The study also aims to assess how well these tests perform at the time of initial cancer diagnosis, considering different tumor types and cancer stages. Participants complete a baseline questionnaire and provide blood samples at registration and again 12 months later. Those diagnosed with cancer may also provide tissue samples at these times. The study includes patients aged 40 to 75 years, with cancer diagnoses at various stages or individuals without cancer. Special procedures are in place for patients with high suspicion of certain cancers before confirmation. During the study, researchers collect detailed information through questionnaires, blood draws, and tissue sampling to analyze test accuracy. Participants are monitored for up to one year after registration to follow outcomes. The primary measure is providing this blinded set of blood samples to help validate future cancer detection tests, supporting research that could improve early diagnosis and treatment.

This research collects data and biological samples from patients who have experienced side effects from immunotherapy treatments for cancer. The goal is to create a national collection of these samples and clinical information to help future studies understand, predict, prevent, and treat serious immune-related side effects, rare infections, or rapid tumor growth after immunotherapy. Participants provide tissue and blood samples when they join the study and again one month later. Some patients may also provide stool samples if they have certain side effects like colitis. Researchers also review participants' medical records for up to one year to gather detailed health information related to their treatment and side effects. During the study, patients undergo sample collections and have their health records examined. The main outcome measured is the establishment of a national biorepository containing these samples and data, which will be used in future research over the course of one year. This study aims to support better understanding and management of immunotherapy side effects in cancer treatment.

Researchers are evaluating how to best recommend chemotherapy for patients with colon cancer after surgery by using the presence or absence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. This approach aims to identify microscopic residual tumor cells and may provide better risk prediction for cancer recurrence compared to traditional methods. The trial focuses on patients with Stage IIB, IIC, or III colon cancer who have undergone complete tumor removal. Participants will have their tumor tissue and blood tested centrally using the Signatera assay to determine ctDNA status. Patients without detectable ctDNA may avoid chemotherapy, while those with detectable ctDNA are considered at higher risk and will be randomly assigned to receive different chemotherapy regimens, including mFOLFOX6, CAPOX, or mFOLFIRINOX, given intravenously or orally over periods ranging from 3 to 6 months. The study includes initial screening, treatment, and possible second randomization for patients whose ctDNA status changes during monitoring. During the study, participants will undergo various assessments including blood tests, imaging scans, and performance evaluations to monitor their health and response to therapy. Researchers will track the time to ctDNA positivity and disease-free survival for up to 3 and 5 years, respectively. Safety and treatment effects will be closely observed throughout the study duration, ensuring thorough follow-up and monitoring for all participants.