Thyroid Cancer Clinical Trials

This is a 3-arm single center study of 45 patients. These cohorts will include 15 breast patients scheduled to undergo a biopsy, and 15 thyroid patients scheduled to undergo fine needle aspiration, biopsy, or thyroidectomy that consent to undergo an acoustic angiography in conjunction with b-mode ultrasound prior to their scheduled biopsy. Prior to imaging clinical patients, the third arm will include 15 healthy volunteers that will be imaged to optimize imaging parameters. Read Less

The association of radioiodine therapy for the treatment of thyroid cancer with nasolacrimal duct obstruction has been well documented in the medical literature. Prior case reports have documented radioactive iodine detection in the tears of patients following radioiodine therapy. It is possible that radioactive uptake by the cells in the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct lead to inflammation, fibrosis, and obstruction of the tear duct over time. A recent study has shown that the administration of artificial tears decreases the level of detectable radioiodine in the tears of patients undergoing radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer. The purpose of this study will be to assess whether administering tears after radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid cancer decreases the incidence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in the two years following radioactive iodine treatment. Read Less

The Collar Therapy Indicator (CoTI) (A device that is placed in collar around the neck resembling a turtle neck sweater collar with a wire and recording box) has been shown in a single small previously published experience to provide data regarding radioiodine exposure that correlates with conventional methods of measuring I-123 and I-131 uptakes after diagnostic dose administration and/or therapy for thyroid disorders. We hypothesize that the device's continuous measurement capability will permit more accurate estimates of radiation exposure to thyroid tissue than conventionally employed methods assessing fractional uptake at one or a few time points. It may also provide information about the extent of variability in the absorbed radiation dose among patients with thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. By providing more complete information about individual patient's exposures, it will facilitate more accurate estimation of the administered I-131 dose requirements for control of hyperthyroidism and thyroid remnant ablation while reducing the need for repeated visits to the clinic for dosimetry measurements. The aims of our project include the following: (1)To compare quantitative imaging-derived thyroid time activity curve to that obtained using the CoTI and to determine the extent to which there is variability in radiation dose predicted using conventional methods to that predicted from measurement of the full Time-Activity Curve (TAC).(2) Evaluate the uptake and clearance kinetics across the 5 patients in each category as proof of principle for a potential larger trial to investigate use of this device in optimizing the administered doses of radioactive iodine to achieve therapeutic goals while minimizing risks of comorbidities, such a post-radioiodine hypothyroidism in patients with Graves' disease.(3)Evaluate patient experience, convenience, and discomfort in using the CoTI device with a survey instrument. Read Less

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic technique that takes pictures of organs of the body. It uses magnetic fields and radio waves that cannot be felt. This makes specific organs, blood vessels, or tumors easier to see. Diffusion MRI lets us measure the motion of water in the tumor. The purpose of this study is to see if new MRI methods can give us more information about the tumor. Read Less

Thyroid cancer incidence has been steadily increasing and has nearly tripled since the 1970's in the US and worldwide. Early detection of small, papillary thyroid cancers using high quality diagnostic imaging explains only about 50% of this increased incidence, suggesting that there is a true increase in the occurrence of thyroid cancer and that changes in the prevalence of environmental risk factors might play a role in thyroid cancer etiology and progression. Yet, the cascade of environmental triggers linked to thyroid cancer remains elusive. 'Exposomics' studies all health relevant chemical exposures that an individual experiences, and leverages metabolomic platforms to estimate the "internal" environment, informing both exogenous exposures and the metabolic products that lead to, or arise from, disease. Besides exposure to ionizing radiation as known modifiable risk factor, epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals may be a potential thyroid cancer risk factor due to their known effects on thyroid function. However, these studies relied either on exposure questionnaires which are susceptible to recall bias, or used a limited set of targeted biomarkers measured after diagnosis for testing associations with case-control status, and not thyroid cancer prognosis. Further, the molecular basis for observed associations with thyroid cancer remains unclear. To address the overall hypothesis that environmental exposures alter metabolic pathways and therefore affect thyroid cancer prognosis, small amounts of blood will be collected using dried blood microsampler technology (e.g. Mitra® sampling devices), which is minimally invasive and can be used to collect repeated blood measurements at home, without the need for specialized training. These dried blood samples will be used to perform metabolomics experiments, which describe the sum of exogenous exposures, metabolic alterations, and biological response. Additional exposure assessment will be performed using an exposure questionnaire. These results will be associated with thyroid cancer prognosis, e.g. disease-specific survival, disease recurrence, and mutational profiles, thus investigating the role of environmental exposures in the development of more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer. Read Less

There is an epidemic of thyroid cancer that is harmful to patients and the medical system. The study hypothesizes that the use of an electronic conversation aid during clinical visits can help patients and clinicians collaborate when deciding the next step in management for a thyroid nodule. The study aims to update a conversation aid prototype that was developed to support shared decision making in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to explore whether percutaneous laser ablation (PLA) is a safe and effective alternative to removing papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with surgery. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the safety and efficacy of KVA12123 alone or combined with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. The main questions this study aims to answer are: What is the safety of KVA12123 when administered alone and in combination with pembrolizumab to advanced cancer patients? What is an appropriate dose of KVA12123 to administer alone and in combination with pembrolizumab to advanced cancer patients in future clinical trials? Participants in this trial will be asked to: Visit the clinical site every 1 - 2 weeks. Receive KVA12123 every 2 weeks alone or in combination with pembrolizumab every 6 weeks. Provide blood samples to evaluate drug levels in blood, drug safety and to explore the effects of each drug on the immune system. Undergo scans every 6 weeks to test the effect of treatment on cancer progression. Undergo other study procedures to evaluate drug safety and participant safety including physical exams, heart function tests, etc. Read Less

This research is being done to determine the efficacy of selpercatinib to restore radioactive iodine (I-131) uptake and allow for I-131 treatment in people with RET fusion-positive radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer. This research study involves the study drug selpercatinib in combination with standard of care treatments, I-131 and thyrotropin alfa (rhTSH). Read Less

This is an observational study of voice outcomes in participants following thyroidectomy or another head and neck surgery that does not involve risk to the larynx other than risks incurred due to intubation alone. These comparative (non-thyroidectomy) surgeries would not be expected to interfere with the primary nerves involved with voice production, so they would help to better understand the effect of intubation alone on voice outcomes. Read Less