Sleepy Hollow

Researchers are studying two surgical procedures to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women with BRCA1 genetic mutations. This trial compares bilateral salpingectomy, which removes only the fallopian tubes, with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, which removes both fallopian tubes and ovaries. The goal is to find out if removing just the fallopian tubes with delayed ovary removal is nearly as effective as removing both from the start. Participants choose between two groups one undergoes bilateral salpingectomy with the option of later ovary removal, and the other undergoes bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Both groups have imaging tests like pelvic ultrasounds or pelvic MRIs during screening and provide blood samples throughout the study. Follow-up visits occur at multiple time points, including 10 to 60 days, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and then yearly for up to 20 years. During the study, researchers track if ovarian or related cancers develop and assess symptoms related to estrogen loss, quality of life, cancer-related distress, sexual function, menopausal symptoms, medical decision making, and any adverse events. Various questionnaires and imaging tests support these evaluations. Long-term safety and cancer risk reduction are monitored for up to two decades after surgery.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of a vaccine designed to reduce Clostridioides difficile C. difficile infections in adults aged 65 years and older. This phase 3 study compares the vaccine to a placebo in a group of older adults who have recent or planned contact with healthcare systems or recent antibiotic use. The purpose is to understand how well the vaccine works to prevent infections and to monitor any side effects or reactions. Participants will receive either the C. difficile vaccine or a placebo shot injected into the upper arm muscle. The study is randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled. The vaccination period includes two doses and participants will be monitored for up to about three and a half years. Follow-up includes three planned clinical visits and three phone visits initially, then yearly clinic visits until the study ends. Participants are asked to report and save stool samples if they experience three or more loose stools in 24 hours to check for possible infection. During the study, researchers will track local and systemic reactions to the vaccine within seven days after each shot, adverse events up to one month after each vaccination, and serious adverse events for up to 18 months after the last dose. The main measurement is the occurrence of medically attended primary C. difficile infections from two weeks after the second vaccination through the surveillance period. Safety monitoring and annual visits will continue until the study is completed, which could be sooner or later depending on infection rates.

Researchers are evaluating whether adding the immunotherapy drug durvalumab to the usual chemotherapy regimen can improve outcomes for patients with MammaPrint High 2 Risk MP2 stage II-III hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. This phase III trial focuses on comparing breast cancer event-free survival and other measures between patients receiving chemotherapy alone and those receiving chemotherapy with durvalumab. Immunotherapy may help enhance the bodys immune response against cancer, while chemotherapy works to stop tumor growth in various ways. Participants are first tested for MP2 status using MammaPrint on previously collected tissue. Those with MP2 results are randomized into two groups. One group receives paclitaxel intravenously on days 1 and 8 every 14 days for six cycles, followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide intravenously every 14 days for four cycles. The other group receives the same chemotherapy schedule combined with durvalumab given intravenously over 60 minutes on specific cycles. Mammography and optional tumor tissue and blood sample collections occur during the study. During the study, participants undergo assessments including mammography, tumor biopsies, blood tests, and quality-of-life questionnaires. Researchers measure outcomes such as event-free survival, response rates, relapse-free survival, overall survival, treatment side effects, and patient-reported fatigue and physical health. After treatment completion, participants are followed for up to 10 years to monitor long-term outcomes and survival. Specimens are also banked for future research.

Researchers are evaluating the addition of nivolumab to the usual treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab compared to paclitaxel and ramucirumab alone in patients with advanced stomach or esophageal adenocarcinoma. This phase IIIII trial aims to see if nivolumab improves progression-free survival and overall survival in these patients. Nivolumab is an immunotherapy monoclonal antibody that may help the immune system attack cancer, while ramucirumab may prevent tumor blood vessel growth, and paclitaxel stops cancer cells from dividing. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives nivolumab intravenously on day 1 of each 28-day cycle, combined with ramucirumab on days 1 and 15, and paclitaxel on days 1, 8, and 15. The other group receives only ramucirumab and paclitaxel on the same schedule without nivolumab. Treatment cycles continue unless the disease worsens or side effects become unacceptable. During the study, patients undergo CT scans and MRI imaging, and may optionally provide blood samples. Throughout the trial, participants are monitored with regular imaging and optional blood tests. After treatment ends, patients have follow-up visits at 30, 60, and 90 days, then every six months for up to three years. Researchers assess progression-free survival, overall survival, response rates, disease control, safety, and quality of life using questionnaires and patient-reported symptoms. This comprehensive monitoring helps evaluate treatment effects and patient well-being over time.

Researchers are evaluating how to best recommend chemotherapy for patients with Stage IIB, IIC, or Stage III colon cancer based on the presence or absence of circulating tumor DNA ctDNA after surgery. This Phase IIIII trial explores whether ctDNA status can help guide decisions about the need for adjuvant chemotherapy and identify the optimal chemotherapy regimen for those at high risk of recurrence. Circulating tumor DNA is a promising biomarker that may detect microscopic residual cancer cells that traditional methods might miss. Participants are assigned to groups based on their ctDNA results after surgery. Those without detectable ctDNA ctDNA- may undergo serial monitoring without treatment or receive different chemotherapy regimens such as mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX for 3 to 6 months. Patients with detectable ctDNA ctDNA who have a higher risk of recurrence are randomized to receive either standard chemotherapy regimens like mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX for 6 months or a more intensive regimen called mFOLFIRINOX for 6 months. Central ctDNA testing is performed using the Signatera test to guide these assignments. During the study, participants have blood samples collected for ctDNA testing and undergo imaging scans to check for cancer recurrence. Researchers assess disease-free survival, overall survival, and chemotherapy compliance over several years. The study includes monitoring for safety and treatment effects, with follow-up planned for up to 5 years after randomization. Participants health status, laboratory tests, and tumor markers are regularly evaluated throughout the treatment and follow-up periods.

Researchers are investigating treatments for patients with metastatic kidney cancer, focusing on whether adding surgery to a standard immunotherapy-based drug combination improves overall survival. This phase III trial compares outcomes for patients receiving immunotherapy with or without surgery to remove the kidney, known as nephrectomy. Immunotherapy drugs like nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and avelumab aim to help the immune system attack the cancer, while axitinib works to block tumor growth. The benefit of adding surgery to these drug treatments is not yet established. Participants first receive one of three standard immunotherapy-based regimens before randomization, including combinations of intravenous nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, avelumab, and oral axitinib. After about 10 to 14 weeks of this initial treatment, patients are randomly assigned to continue systemic therapy alone or to receive surgery to remove the kidney plus the same systemic therapy. Surgery may be radical or partial and performed using laparoscopic, open, or robotic methods within 8 weeks of randomization. Axitinib is paused before surgery and resumed after recovery. Throughout the study, participants undergo scans and clinical assessments to monitor tumor response and side effects. After completing treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months during the first year, then every 6 months for years two and three, and annually thereafter for up to seven years. The trial measures overall survival, tumor response in metastatic sites, changes in tumor size, and complications from surgery or drug toxicities. Specimens are also collected for future research to better understand the disease and treatments.

Researchers are evaluating a treatment approach for early-stage hormone-sensitive, HER-2 negative breast cancer with an Oncotype recurrence score of 18 or less. This Phase III trial compares breast conservation surgery with endocrine therapy alone against breast conservation surgery with both radiation and endocrine therapy. The goal is to see if skipping radiation after lumpectomy is not worse in preventing cancer recurrence in the same breast. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive radiation therapy to the breast plus at least five years of endocrine therapy with drugs such as Tamoxifen, Anastrozole, Letrozole, or Exemestane. The other group will receive endocrine therapy only for at least five years without radiation. Radiation must start within 12 weeks of surgery if assigned. Endocrine therapy dosing and schedule are determined by the treating doctor. During the study, participants will have regular follow-ups up to five years to monitor cancer recurrence in the breast and elsewhere, survival, and breast preservation. Assessments will include clinical exams, imaging like mammograms or MRI, and pathology reviews. The main outcome is time to invasive or noninvasive breast tumor recurrence within five years. Some measures will continue through an average of 15 years, including breast conservation rates. Safety and overall health will be monitored throughout and after treatment.

Researchers are studying premenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer that is estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative, focusing on tumors with specific gene recurrence scores. The trial aims to find out if adding chemotherapy to ovarian function suppression plus endocrine therapy improves invasive breast cancer-free survival compared to ovarian function suppression plus endocrine therapy alone. This Phase III trial addresses the need for better treatments in younger women, given their higher risk and past conflicting study results on ovarian suppression and chemotherapy. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving ovarian function suppression combined with an aromatase inhibitor for five years, and the other receiving adjuvant chemotherapy followed by the same ovarian function suppression and aromatase inhibitor regimen. Choices for the aromatase inhibitor and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist are made by the investigator, with options including drugs such as goserelin, leuprolide, or triptorelin. Endocrine treatment beyond five years is at the investigators discretion, and bilateral oophorectomy may be used instead of ovarian suppression if preferred. During the study, participants are monitored over 11 years from randomization, with measurements including invasive breast cancer-free survival as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include disease-free survival, overall survival, recurrence intervals, menopausal symptoms, and pain during aromatase inhibitor therapy. Safety and treatment effects are assessed through regular evaluations, and participants continue to be followed long term to understand the impact of treatments on their breast cancer outcomes.

Researchers are evaluating treatments for patients with high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes. This Phase III trial compares adding induction chemotherapy with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab before standard chemotherapy, radiation, and pembrolizumab maintenance against the standard treatment of chemotherapy, radiation, and pembrolizumab maintenance alone. The study aims to investigate whether this induction approach improves progression-free survival and overall survival, while assessing treatment toxicity and biomarker effects. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the standard care group, patients receive weekly cisplatin and pembrolizumab every three weeks alongside daily radiation therapy for 5 weeks, followed by brachytherapy for 4 to 5 treatments, and then pembrolizumab maintenance every six weeks for up to 15 cycles. In the experimental group, patients first receive induction chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel weekly for 3 weeks, plus pembrolizumab every three weeks for 2 cycles, then receive the same chemoradiation and pembrolizumab maintenance schedule, with radiation delivered in weeks 7 to 13. Treatment is given unless disease progression or unacceptable side effects occur. Throughout the trial, participants undergo imaging scans including PET, CT, chest x-ray, and MRI, along with blood sample collection to monitor disease and biomarkers. After completing treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for up to 3 more years. Researchers measure progression-free survival as the primary outcome and assess overall survival, adverse events, treatment completion, biomarker levels, and radiation quality. Safety and treatment effects are closely monitored during the study period lasting several years.

Researchers are studying patients with stage II primary invasive cutaneous melanoma to compare the effects of two different surgical excision margins 1cm versus 2cm. The goal is to determine if narrower margins are as safe as wider margins in preventing melanoma recurrence and if they can improve patients quality of life. This trial also looks at the impact of these excision sizes on health services and society. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a 1cm or 2cm wide local excision margin around the primary melanoma lesion. Both groups will undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy and may have reconstruction surgery if needed. The surgery must be done within 120 days of diagnosis and within 28 days of randomization. During the study, participants will be followed for up to 60 months to measure disease-free survival as the primary outcome. Additional assessments include local recurrence, distant disease-free survival, melanoma-specific and overall survival, quality of life questionnaires, neuropathic pain evaluations, adverse event monitoring, and health economic analysis. Follow-up questionnaires and safety checks will occur at multiple time points up to 24 months after surgery, with longer-term monitoring continuing up to 120 months.