Mount Pleasant

Researchers are evaluating the effects of cannabis and cannabinoid use on cancer-related symptoms in adults newly diagnosed with breast, colorectal, melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or non-small cell lung cancer. This study focuses on patients who are planning to receive or have recently started systemic cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4. The goal is to understand how cannabis use may be associated with symptom changes over time. Participants are enrolled in a non-interventional study where no experimental treatment is given. They complete surveys about their symptoms and cannabis use, and their medical records are reviewed regularly. The study tracks cancer-related symptoms monthly for up to 12 months after enrollment, allowing researchers to observe symptom patterns during ongoing cancer treatment. An optional substudy is available at select sites for patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving paclitaxel and ICIs. During the study, participants complete online surveys in English or Spanish at their convenience, either at home or in clinic. Medical records are examined to gather information on treatments and health status. The main outcome measured is cancer-related symptoms, assessed monthly for one year. Safety monitoring includes ensuring participants have an expected life expectancy of at least six months and are not enrolled in hospice. The study aims to enroll 2000 patients across multiple sites in the United States.

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 comprehensive genomic analysis in tissue samples from patients with recurrent or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. This analysis aims to identify specific gene mutations in the cancer's DNA, which may help doctors tailor treatments to target these mutations more precisely. The study seeks to determine how often therapy can be started based on these genomic test results and to understand the outcomes for patients who receive such targeted therapy. Patients provide tumor tissue samples for genomic analysis using techniques like mass spectrometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and microarray. Those whose genomic results indicate suitable targets may begin therapy tailored to their tumor's specific mutations. The study involves collecting and analyzing existing tumor samples or performing new biopsies if needed. During the study, patients undergo laboratory tests and tissue collection, followed by therapy initiation when appropriate. After treatment, patients are monitored every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years, and annually thereafter to track progression-free survival and response to therapy. The main outcome measured is the proportion of patients who start treatment based on genomic analysis within 21 days. Safety and long-term outcomes are also followed.

Researchers are evaluating whether breast conservation surgery combined with endocrine therapy can achieve a similar rate of invasive or non-invasive ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) compared to breast conservation surgery followed by breast radiation and endocrine therapy in patients with Stage I, hormone sensitive, HER2-negative breast cancer with an Oncotype recurrence score of 18 or less. This Phase III trial builds on the established role of radiation after lumpectomy, aiming to identify if radiation can be safely omitted in certain low-risk patients to reduce treatment burden and side effects. Participants receive either breast radiation plus endocrine therapy or endocrine therapy alone. Radiation therapy involves external beam radiation to the whole breast with or without a boost, partial breast irradiation, or accelerated partial breast irradiation, starting within 12 weeks after the last breast surgery. Endocrine therapy is given for a minimum of 5 years, with the specific drug choice and schedule determined by the treating physician. Endocrine therapy may begin before, during, or after radiation therapy, depending on the treatment group. Throughout the study, participants undergo regular assessments including imaging such as mammograms or MRI within six months before enrollment, and clinical evaluations to monitor tumor recurrence. The main outcome measured is the time to invasive or non-invasive ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence over five years. Safety, adherence to therapy, and recovery from surgery are also monitored. The total participation period includes at least five years to evaluate long-term recurrence rates.

Researchers are evaluating two digital mindfulness meditation programs to support mental health and well-being in younger breast cancer survivors who have elevated depressive symptoms. This phase III trial focuses on women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger who have completed their main cancer treatments at least six months ago. The study aims to compare a live, instructor-led online program to a self-paced app-based program and also to explore factors that might influence how well these interventions work, including psychological distress levels and social factors like race and education. Participants will be assigned to one of three groups: a live online Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) program delivered over Zoom, a self-paced MAPs digital app, or a meditation-only control group. The live online program includes guided meditations, exercises to manage pain and emotions, and cultivating kindness, with daily home practice increasing from 5 to 20 minutes. The app program unlocks lessons sequentially as participants progress. Meditation use will be tracked across all groups to measure engagement. During the study, participants will report depressive symptoms two weeks after completing the intervention. Researchers will also collect information on emotion regulation strategies and social determinants of health, and monitor how much participants practice mindfulness to understand the programs' effects. The total intervention lasts six weeks, and participants must be able to use a digital device and communicate in English or Spanish. Safety and participation are closely monitored throughout the study.

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder affecting up to 0.1% of the population, is usually characterized by mucocutaneous bleeding, HMB, surgical bleeding or other hemostatic challenges. VWD currently has few therapies generally useful in management of bleeding events including antifibrinolytics, desmopressin (DDAVP), and VWF concentrates, which may be plasma-derived (VWF with and without FVIII) or recombinant. Minor bleeding may be successfully treated with antifibrinolytics and DDAVP; however, more severe bleeding requires VWF concentrates that are administered solely through intravenous access. Similarly, it can be challenging to treat concomitant bleeding disorders with the existing therapeutic options available, and patients with concurrent VWD and hemophilia A primarily have VWF/FVIII concentrate or desmopressin (DDAVP) available for treatment. It has been well-recognized that patients, caregivers, and medical providers desire additional, simplified therapeutic options that are not intravenous to treat severe bleeding disorders. Therefore, a simplified, subcutaneous therapeutic that prevents bleeding would be strongly desired. Though its use in the hemophilia A population is growing, additional potential emicizumab applications for hemostatic control in other hemostatic disorders remain unknown. A recent case report highlighted the hemostatic efficacy of emicizumab off-label use in type 3 von Willebrand Disease (VWD), another severe bleeding disorder. This pediatric patient had type 3 VWD with alloantibodies and a bleeding phenotype similar to hemophilia A with inhibitor patients, requiring suboptimal bleeding management with rFVIIa and activated prothrombin complex concentrates (aPCC). Emicizumab prophylaxis was initiated and the patient no longer required aPCC prophylaxis and rare use of rFVIIa for acute bleeding events (only 1 trauma-induced soft tissue hematoma at the time of publication). The authors concluded their report suggested the bleeding phenotype in type 3 VWD is expressed mainly due to factor VIII deficiency. This study suggests a potential additional application for emicizumab in severe VWD. A pilot multicenter, prospective open-label study of emicizumab prophylaxis in severe VWD and concomitant VWD/hemophilia A. Patients will have a one-year retrospective chart review of annualized bleed rate and hemostatic therapies collected at the time of enrollment. Patients will then be treated with emicizumab with 3mg/kg weekly for 4 weeks loading dose, followed by once weekly prophylaxis of 1.5mg/kg for 1 year. Per emicizumab FDA-approved prescribing information for hemophilia A, dose up-titration to 3 mg/kg once weekly will be allowed after 24 weeks on HEMLIBRA prophylaxis in case of suboptimal efficacy (i.e., ≥ 2 spontaneous and clinically significant bleeds) Treatment records will be maintained along with bleeding event logs. Breakthrough bleeding events may be treated with the patients usual on-demand therapy with antifibrinolytics or VWF/FVIII concentrates per clinician discretion. Patient reported outcome assessments will be collected throughout the clinical study to collect impact of the treatment on the individual patients, assessing quality of life, physical, emotional, social and general symptoms.

Researchers are evaluating if adding adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) to ovarian function suppression (OFS) plus endocrine therapy (ET) improves invasive breast cancer-free survival (IBCFS) compared to OFS plus ET alone. This Phase III trial focuses on premenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer that is estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative, and has a 21-gene recurrence score between 16-25 for node-negative patients or 0-25 for patients with 1-3 positive nodes. The study addresses the need for better treatment options for younger women diagnosed with this type of breast cancer, as younger age is linked to worse outcomes despite standard therapies. Participants receive one of two treatments: either OFS combined with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) for five years or adjuvant chemotherapy followed by the same OFS plus AI regimen. The specific AI and GnRH agonist used, along with their dosing schedules, are chosen by the investigator, commonly including goserelin, leuprolide, or triptorelin administered monthly or every three months. Bilateral oophorectomy may be used instead of ovarian suppression if preferred. Endocrine therapy beyond five years is at the investigator's discretion. During the trial, participants will be closely monitored for invasive breast cancer-free survival over an 11-year period from randomization. Assessments include clinical evaluations, hormone receptor testing, tumor staging, and genetic recurrence scoring prior to enrollment. Safety and effectiveness data will be collected throughout the study, with particular attention to treatment side effects and long-term outcomes. The trial involves detailed eligibility screening and ongoing follow-up to ensure accurate measurement of the study's primary outcome.

Researchers are evaluating an online educational program called Current Together After Cancer (CTAC) designed to help patients who have had surgery for stage II or III colorectal cancer receive follow-up care that follows current medical guidelines. This phase III trial aims to see if CTAC improves patients' knowledge about surveillance, their confidence in managing their care, and satisfaction with support received from a chosen adult supporter. Proper surveillance after colorectal cancer surgery is important to detect any return of the disease early, but many survivors do not receive recommended follow-up care, possibly due to lack of information or support. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives access to the CTAC intervention website, which includes educational content and interactive modules to help manage post-surgery surveillance. The other group accesses a control website with general health education. Both patients and their chosen supporters can use their assigned website as often as they like for up to 16 months. Supporters are adult individuals identified by the patient who help with their cancer journey. During the study, researchers will measure how many patients receive surveillance care that follows guidelines at 12 and 16 months. They will also assess patients' knowledge about surveillance, confidence in managing their care, and satisfaction with supporter involvement at 3 and 16 months. Surveys and interviews will be conducted to gather this information. The study will also explore how well the intervention fits into clinical practice and how supporter participation affects outcomes.