Princeton

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.

This research aims to establish a national biorepository by collecting research data and samples from patients who experience side effects from immunotherapy treatments used in cancer care. It focuses on patients who have serious immune-related reactions, rare infections, or accelerated tumor growth after receiving immuno-oncology therapies. The goal is to help researchers better predict, prevent, and treat these side effects in the future. Participants will have tissue and blood samples collected within 72 hours after confirmation of a serious immune-related side effect and again one month later. For patients experiencing colitis, stool samples may also be collected. Alongside sample collection, medical records will be reviewed for up to one year. This study is observational and involves no experimental treatments. During the study, participants will provide biospecimens at two time points and allow access to their medical records for a year. Researchers will analyze these samples and clinical data to build a resource for future studies on immune-related adverse events. The main outcome is the establishment of this biorepository, which will be maintained for up to one year after enrollment.

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 studying colorectal cancer CRC in participants aged 45 to 70 who have 1 to 2 non-advanced adenomas, which are small colon polyps without high-risk features. The trial compares two surveillance colonoscopy schedules one group receives colonoscopy at 5 and 10 years after polyp detection, while the other group has colonoscopy only at 10 years. This study aims to provide randomized data to guide optimal timing for follow-up colonoscopies to help reduce CRC incidence and improve clinical practices. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups the first group undergoes surveillance colonoscopy at both 5 and 10 years following their qualifying colonoscopy, and the second group undergoes colonoscopy at 10 years only. All colonoscopies, including any unscheduled ones, follow current quality guidelines and institutional preparation standards. The qualifying colonoscopy must have been complete and performed within 4 years before randomization, with all polyps fully removed. During the study, participants will undergo colonoscopies according to their assigned schedules. Researchers will monitor the incidence of colorectal cancer over 10 years as the primary outcome. Participants must be able to understand English or Spanish to complete required procedures. The study may last up to several decades, with ongoing monitoring to assess long-term cancer incidence and the effectiveness of different surveillance intervals.

Researchers are evaluating whether high-dose gabapentin can reduce the need for opioid pain medications in patients experiencing mouth sores oral mucositis caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Oral mucositis can cause severe pain and complications such as difficulty swallowing, weight loss, feeding tube placement, interruptions in cancer treatment, hospitalizations, and decreased quality of life. Opioids are commonly used to treat this pain but come with significant side effects and risks of long-term use. In this phase III trial, patients are randomly assigned to receive either gabapentin or a placebo starting at radiation treatment day 8. The medication is given orally once daily on day 1, twice daily on day 2, and three times daily from day 3 onward. Both groups also receive standard chemotherapy, radiation, and pain management. Treatment continues until symptoms improve and other pain medications are stopped, followed by a gradual reduction in the study drug dose. Blood samples are collected throughout the study. After treatment, patients are followed for up to 6 months. Participants will have their need for opioids monitored during chemoradiation, along with the time to first opioid use and pain scores assessed up to 4 weeks after treatment ends. Researchers will also explore opioid use duration, symptom and quality of life changes, adverse events, medication tolerance, body weight, kidney function, immune cell counts, and feeding tube requirements. Study visits include regular assessments, blood tests, and questionnaires to gather detailed information on patient outcomes and safety.

Researchers are studying how certain factors like age, gender, other medical conditions, and the type of immunotherapy affect whether patients with malignant solid tumors develop mild or serious side effects from immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. This observational study aims to develop and validate a model that predicts severe immune-related side effects during the first year of immunotherapy, while also assessing quality of life and adverse events over 12 months. The study is sponsored by the SWOG Cancer Research Network and includes translational medicine goals such as evaluating cytokine levels as predictors and establishing a tissue and blood sample repository. Participants will provide a tissue sample at the start of their routine cancer treatment and complete questionnaires at multiple time points at treatment start, and weeks 4, 12, 24, and 52. They may also provide optional blood samples during the study. This design allows researchers to monitor immune-related side effects and patient-reported outcomes over time. During the study, participants will complete various questionnaires to report their quality of life, cognitive function, and side effects. Blood and tissue samples will be analyzed to explore predictive markers of toxicity. Researchers will track the occurrence of severe immune-related side effects over 52 weeks and assess changes in patient-reported outcomes. The study includes ongoing monitoring and data collection, with participation lasting approximately one year from treatment start.

Researchers are comparing the rates of surgical and minimally invasive interventions, as well as any harms, in Medicare beneficiaries treated with the MILD procedure versus those treated with interspinous process decompression IPD for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication. This observational study uses Medicare claims data to follow patients for 24 months after their initial procedure starting from January 1, 2017. The purpose is to evaluate outcomes between these two types of procedures without requiring prior patient enrollment or consent. The study includes two groups patients who received MILD, which is a percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression performed under fluoroscopic guidance through a dorsal approach to the spine, and patients who received IPD, a different device-based decompression procedure. Data on reoperations and complications will be collected for both groups over a 24-month follow-up period using Medicare claims. Enrollment continues until the sponsor decides to stop. Participants involvement is passive as the study uses existing Medicare claims data. Researchers will monitor rates of harms related to the initial procedure and subsequent surgical or minimally invasive interventions over two years. No direct patient visits or interventions are conducted, and the study is exempt from institutional review board oversight. The total study duration extends to December 2026, covering cases treated since early 2017.

Researchers are evaluating whether simply observing patients after surgery is as effective as continuing pembrolizumab treatment in preventing cancer recurrence in people with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer TNBC who had a complete response after receiving chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab before surgery. This Phase III trial aims to determine if stopping pembrolizumab post-surgery can maintain recurrence-free survival while potentially improving quality of life and reducing treatment burden. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups after finishing chemotherapy with pembrolizumab and surgery. One group continues pembrolizumab intravenously every 3 or 6 weeks for 27 weeks. The other group undergoes observation without further pembrolizumab for the same period. Throughout the study, patients have tumor biopsies and blood collected, along with imaging such as mammography, breast ultrasound, or MRI during follow-up. Participants will be monitored for recurrence-free survival and overall survival for up to 10 years. The study also assesses adverse events, quality of life, financial impact, and work productivity at about 27 weeks after starting the assigned treatment or observation. Safety and treatment effects are tracked through biopsies, imaging, blood tests, and patient questionnaires during the study and follow-up.

Researchers are evaluating a text-based program designed to help rural cancer survivors who smoke to quit smoking. This phase III trial compares an eight-week scheduled gradual reduction SGR intervention delivered via personalized text messages combined with the National Cancer Institutes Smokefree.TXT service to a control group receiving a smoking cessation booklet. The study aims to assess how effective these approaches are in achieving biochemically validated smoking cessation six months after quitting, as well as their impact on quality of life. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group follows a personalized eight-week gradual reduction schedule, supported by cessation messages sent by text for 12 weeks. The second group receives the NCI Clearing the Air booklet to assist in planning gradual smoking cessation. After completing the interventions, participants are followed for a total of six months post-quit date to evaluate outcomes. During the study, participants will provide urine samples and complete questionnaires to measure smoking status and quality of life at baseline, 30 days, and six months after quitting. The research team uses biochemical validation to confirm smoking cessation. Participants must have texting capability on a cell phone or smartphone and be able to read and speak English. The total participation includes the intervention period plus follow-up to monitor smoking cessation and quality of life changes.

Researchers are evaluating a phase III trial comparing shorter chemotherapy-immunotherapy without anthracycline drugs to the usual chemo-immunotherapy for treating early-stage triple negative breast cancer TNBC. This study aims to see if the shorter treatment works as well as the usual anthracycline-containing treatment. The trial also assesses patient-reported outcomes like fatigue and physical function, as well as safety and survival measures. It involves participants with specific stages of TNBC and includes detailed evaluations of tumor response and immune markers. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group receives paclitaxel, carboplatin, and pembrolizumab followed by doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and pembrolizumab, then surgery, with possible pembrolizumab after surgery. The other group receives docetaxel, carboplatin, and pembrolizumab prior to surgery, with possible pembrolizumab after surgery. Blood samples may be collected throughout the trial for research purposes. During the study, participants undergo surgery after chemotherapy-immunotherapy. They are followed every six months for two years, then annually up to five years. Assessments include breast cancer event-free survival, pathological response, distant relapse-free survival, overall survival, adverse events, and patient-reported fatigue and physical function. Quality of life and other patient-reported symptoms are also evaluated. Specimens are banked for future research. The total participation may last up to five years from registration.