Massey Cancer Center

Researchers are evaluating a method to detect molecular residual disease MRD in people with high-risk early breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. This observational study aims to predict cancer recurrence by analyzing circulating tumor DNA ctDNA from blood and tissue samples. Participants will be followed for up to 5.5 years to better understand the presence of tumor DNA after treatment and its relation to cancer outcomes. The study involves collecting blood and tissue samples to perform a ctDNA MRD test. Participants must have a confirmed invasive breast cancer planned for neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with tumors 2.1 cm or larger and certain clinical subtypes or risk factors. Residual tissue from diagnostic biopsies will be used to create personalized ctDNA assays. No experimental treatment is given instead, participants are observed to assess test accuracy and disease recurrence. During the study, participants will provide blood samples totaling 34 cc at research visits and submit available biopsy tissue. Researchers will evaluate tissue sample quality and track distant recurrence-free intervals over six years. Various outcomes such as tumor mutation prevalence, test sensitivity, survival rates, and time to recurrence will be measured. The studys long-term follow-up allows close monitoring of disease status and patient health.

This research aims to gather health information from infants, children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer to improve treatment and ongoing care. It maintains a Childhood Cancer Registry and uses clinical and biological data to identify eligibility for Childrens Oncology Group therapeutic trials. The study also develops a biorepository of biospecimens and clinical data for current and future research, including tumor and host DNA samples, and allows for future contact regarding additional research studies. Participants are assigned to one of two observational protocols. In the Project Every Child Protocol, medical data is reviewed to create a cancer registry, and biospecimens such as tissue, blood, bone marrow, plasma, serum, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, or urine are collected. In the Project AYA Protocol, biospecimens are collected similarly. These samples are gathered at diagnosis, progression, recurrence, or post-mortem where applicable. During the study, participants undergo medical chart reviews and biospecimen collections. Researchers measure the number of patients consenting to biobanking as a primary outcome. Clinical data including diagnosis, staging, treatment summaries, and outcomes are recorded. The study involves ongoing data collection over time to support future research and screening for trial eligibility, with participation lasting as long as data and samples continue to be collected.

Researchers are studying pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma PDAC by establishing a large group of people at high risk due to family history or genetic variants. The goal is to improve early detection and prevention of PDAC through detailed research on these individuals over time. This observational study collects blood and other biosamples every 6 to 12 months from participants in defined high-risk groups. Standardized procedures are used for sample collection and processing, and samples are stored at clinical sites with linked patient data. Participants receive usual medical care from their doctors while contributing samples and clinical information. Participants provide biosamples and information during follow-up visits, with clinical data obtained from medical records. Researchers track the development of PDAC over an average of six years. The study measures include monitoring for PDAC development and correlating clinical outcomes with laboratory results from biospecimens. This long-term follow-up helps advance understanding of PDAC risk and detection.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of pembrolizumab alone compared to the standard treatment of chemotherapy cisplatin or carboplatin combined with radiation therapy after surgery in patients with recurrent or second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This phase II trial aims to assess overall survival, disease control, metastasis rates, and side effects in high-risk patients, while also exploring whether high PD-L1 expression predicts better responses to pembrolizumab. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group receives intravenous cisplatin or carboplatin weekly for six cycles alongside daily intensity-modulated radiation therapy or proton beam radiation totaling 30 sessions. The other group receives intravenous pembrolizumab every six weeks for up to nine cycles. Throughout treatment, participants undergo CT or MRI scans to monitor their condition. After completing treatment, participants are followed up 30 days later and then every six months for up to five years. During the study, researchers evaluate overall survival from randomization to death, adverse events for up to five years, disease-free survival, and PD-L1 expression levels. The study monitors patients closely with imaging and clinical assessments to track treatment effects and safety over time.

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.

This research aims to evaluate how well amivantamab given by subcutaneous injection works in treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer that has extra copies of the MET gene. This phase II Expanded Lung-MAP treatment trial focuses on patients with MET amplification-positive non-small cell lung cancer. The goal is to see if amivantamab-SC can reduce tumor growth or spread by targeting the extra MET gene copies in these tumors. Participants receive amivantamab subcutaneously on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 during the first 28-day cycle, then on days 1 and 15 of subsequent 28-day cycles as long as the disease does not progress or unacceptable side effects occur. Throughout the trial, patients have regular CT or MRI scans and blood samples taken to monitor treatment effects and disease status. After completing treatment, patients are followed for up to 3 years to assess long-term outcomes. During the study, researchers evaluate how many patients respond to the treatment, how long responses last, progression-free survival, overall survival, and the frequency and severity of side effects. Blood samples are collected before treatment, during therapy, and at disease progression to study tumor DNA and build a tissue and blood repository. Safety labs, physical exams, and performance status assessments are also conducted. The total participation can last up to 3 years including follow-up.

Researchers are evaluating the addition of pembrolizumab immunotherapy to standard chemotherapy for patients with stage IIA, IIB, IIIA, or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC that has been completely removed by surgery. This phase III trial aims to compare disease-free survival and overall survival among different treatment approaches, including chemotherapy alone, chemotherapy followed by pembrolizumab, and chemotherapy combined with pembrolizumab. The study also assesses quality of life and adverse event rates in these patient groups. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group receives only chemotherapy with observation afterward. The other two groups receive chemotherapy followed by pembrolizumab or chemotherapy combined with pembrolizumab. Chemotherapy involves one of four platinum doublet regimens administered every 21 days for four cycles, depending on the physicians choice. Pembrolizumab is given intravenously over 25-40 minutes, either after chemotherapy or alongside it, repeated every 21 days or every 6 weeks for multiple cycles. Patients also undergo heart ultrasound, MRI, CT scans, and blood sample collections as part of the study. During the trial, participants have regular medical assessments including imaging and blood tests to monitor their health. Follow-up visits occur 6 weeks after treatment, then every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for years 2-4, and annually up to 10 years from randomization. Researchers measure disease-free survival as the main outcome, tracking the time until cancer recurrence or death. They also evaluate overall survival, side effects, drug tolerability, and patient-reported quality of life over time.

Researchers are investigating treatments for men with prostate cancer that has returned after surgery, focusing on those who experience a rise in prostate-specific antigen PSA levels, indicating biochemical recurrence. The study examines whether adding enhanced systemic therapy apalutamide combined with abiraterone and prednisone to standard care, which includes prostate radiation therapy and short-term androgen deprivation, improves outcomes. Additionally, for patients whose cancer has spread beyond the pelvis as detected by PET imaging, the study evaluates the benefit of adding metastasis-directed radiation therapy. Participants undergo baseline PETCT or PETMR scans to determine the extent of cancer spread. Based on these results, they are randomized into one of four treatment arms standard radiation with androgen deprivation, enhanced therapy including apalutamide, or enhanced therapy plus targeted radiation for metastatic disease. Treatments involve various forms of radiation therapy, androgen deprivation drugs, and oral apalutamide, administered over six months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable side effects. Some patients may receive repeat PET scans to assess treatment response. During the study, participants have scheduled assessments including imaging, blood tests measuring PSA levels, and quality-of-life questionnaires over up to ten years. Follow-up visits occur every three months for the first two years, then less frequently up to ten years. Researchers monitor progression-free survival, overall survival, event-free survival, PSA progression, adverse events, and quality of life measures including cognitive function and fatigue. This long-term monitoring aims to determine the effectiveness of the added therapies compared to standard treatment alone.

Researchers are comparing two treatments for children and young adults aged 2 to 21 with newly diagnosed or untreated low-grade glioma LGG that does not have a BRAFV600E mutation or neurofibromatosis type 1 NF1. The study aims to find out if selumetinib, a drug that blocks enzymes needed for tumor cell growth, works as well as the standard chemotherapy treatment with carboplatin and vincristine CV. It also evaluates which treatment better improves quality of life and patient outcomes. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives vincristine intravenously on specific days along with carboplatin intravenously on scheduled days, followed by maintenance cycles every 42 days for up to 8 cycles. The other group takes selumetinib orally twice daily in 28-day cycles for up to 27 cycles. Throughout the trial, patients undergo blood collection, MRI scans, and in the selumetinib group, echocardiography at baseline. Treatments continue unless there is disease progression or unacceptable side effects. During participation, patients have various assessments including tumor imaging, blood tests, and evaluations of vision and motor function. Quality of life and cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral functions are also measured. After treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for years 2 and 3, and then annually up to 10 years. The main outcome measured is event-free survival over this period.

Researchers are evaluating whether the drugs mosunetuzumab and polatuzumab vedotin can provide benefits for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or grade 3b follicular lymphoma that has returned or not responded to treatment. This study focuses on patients who have already received chemotherapy with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by CAR T-cell therapy. The goal is to determine if adding these drugs after previous treatments may better control or shrink the cancer. Participants first receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by one of three CAR T-cell therapies given by infusion tisagenlecleucel, axicabtagene ciloleucel, or lisocabtagene maraleucel. After this, participants are randomly assigned to one of four groups receiving mosunetuzumab alone, polatuzumab vedotin alone, both drugs together, or observation without further drug treatment. Those in the observation group who experience disease progression within 12 months may switch to receive both drugs. Throughout the study, patients undergo PET-CT or CT scans and provide blood and tissue samples for research. Participants will be monitored regularly with imaging scans and laboratory tests to assess disease status and treatment effects. Researchers will measure progression-free survival, overall survival, remission rates, and treatment side effects up to two years. The study also includes collecting and banking tissue samples and PET-CT images for future research. The total length of involvement depends on individual timelines but includes treatment and follow-up periods extending up to two years or more.