Cancer Clinical Trials in Cedar Rapids, IA

This phase II trial studies the good and bad effects of the combination of drugs called cabozantinib and nivolumab in treating patients with melanoma or squamous cell head and neck cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced). Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. This trial may help doctors determine how quickly patients can be divided into groups based on biomarkers in their tumors. A biomarker is a biological molecule found in the blood, other body fluids, or in tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process or a sign of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. The two biomarkers that this trial is studying are "tumor mutational burden" and "tumor inflammation signature." Another purpose of this trial is to help doctors learn if cabozantinib and nivolumab shrink or stabilize the cancer, and whether patients respond differently to the combination depending on the status of the biomarkers. Read Less

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding chemotherapy to immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) versus immunotherapy alone in treating patients with stage IIIB-IV lung cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving pembrolizumab and chemotherapy may help stabilize lung cancer. Read Less

This trial collects multiple tissue and blood samples, along with medical information, from cancer patients. The "Cancer Moonshot Biobank" is a longitudinal study. This means it collects and stores samples and information over time, throughout the course of a patient's cancer treatment. By looking at samples and information collected from the same people over time, researchers hope to better understand how cancer changes over time and over the course of medical treatments. Read Less

This ComboMATCH patient screening trial is the gateway to a coordinated set of clinical trials to study cancer treatment directed by genetic testing. Patients with solid tumors that have spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) or have spread to other places in the body (advanced) and have progressed on at least one line of standard systemic therapy or have no standard treatment that has been shown to prolong overall survival may be candidates for these trials. Genetic tests look at the unique genetic material (genes) of patients' tumor cells. Patients with some genetic changes or abnormalities (mutations) may benefit from treatment that targets that particular genetic mutation. ComboMATCH is designed to match patients to a treatment that may work to control their tumor and may help doctors plan better treatment for patients with locally advanced or advanced solid tumors. Read Less

This phase III ALCHEMIST trial tests the addition of pembrolizumab to usual chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, pemetrexed, carboplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving pembrolizumab with usual chemotherapy may help increase survival times in patients with stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

This phase III trial compares standard therapy given after surgery (adjuvant) to standard therapy given before and after surgery (perioperative) in treating patients with stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that can be removed by surgery (resectable). The usual approach for patients with resectable NSCLC is chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy before surgery, after surgery, or both before and after surgery. This study is being done to find out which approach is better at treating patients with lung cancer. Treatment will be administered according to the current standard of care at the time of enrollment. Chemotherapy options may include cisplatin, carboplatin, pemetrexed, gemcitabine, docetaxel, and vinorelbine at standard doses according to the treating physician. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Pemetrexed is in a class of medications called antifolate antineoplastic agents. It works by stopping cells from using folic acid to make deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and may kill tumor cells. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that blocks the cells from making DNA and may kill tumor cells. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Other chemotherapy drugs, such as vinorelbine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading . Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the tumor, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Starting treatment with chemotherapy and immunotherapy prior to surgery and continuing treatment after surgery may be a more effective treatment option than adjuvant therapy alone in patients with stage II-IIIB resectable NSCLC. Read Less

This phase II trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) and whether it works in reducing or preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in patients with breast cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) who are receiving treatment with paclitaxel. Chemotherapy drugs, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Exposure to chemotherapy drugs like paclitaxel may cause a side effect called CIPN, which is a condition of weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage (usually in the hands and feet). GM1 is a part of the body's natural system that insulates nerves and helps to protect nerves from damage. Giving GM1 may help reduce or prevent CIPN in breast cancer patients receiving treatment with paclitaxel. Read Less

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding tivozanib to standard therapy pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone for the treatment of patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Tivozanib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals tumor cells to multiply. This helps stop the spread of tumor cells. Giving pembrolizumab and tivozanib together may work better than pembrolizumab alone in treating patients with RCC. Read Less

The phase III trial compares the effect of pembrolizumab to observation for the treatment of patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer who achieved a pathologic complete response after preoperative chemotherapy in combination with pembrolizumab. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. This trial may help researchers determine if observation will result in the same risk of cancer coming back as pembrolizumab after surgery in triple-negative breast cancer patients who achieve pathologic complete response after preoperative chemotherapy with pembrolizumab. Read Less

This phase III trial compares the effect of low dose tamoxifen to usual hormonal therapy, including aromatase inhibitors, in treating post-menopausal women with hormone positive, HER2 negative early stage breast cancer. Tamoxifen is in a class of medications known as antiestrogens. It blocks the activity of estrogen (a female hormone) in the breast. This may stop the growth of some breast tumors that need estrogen to grow. Aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane, prevent the formation of estradiol, a female hormone, by interfering with an aromatase enzyme. Aromatase inhibitors are used as a type of hormone therapy to treat postmenopausal women with hormone-dependent breast cancer. Giving low dose tamoxifen may be more effective compared to usual hormone therapy in treating post-menopausal women with hormone-positive, HER2 negative early stage breast cancer. Read Less

This phase II trial compares the effect of irinotecan versus oxaliplatin after long-course chemoradiation in patients with stage II-III rectal cancer. Combination chemotherapy drugs, such as FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, irinotecan, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin), FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan ), and CAPOX (capecitabin and oxaliplatin) work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. FOLFOX or CAPOX are used after chemoradiation as usual treatment for rectal cancer. Giving FOLFIRINOX after chemoradiation may increase the response rate and lead to higher rates of clinical complete response (with a chance of avoiding surgery) compared to FOLFOX or CAPOX after chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Read Less

The goal of this study is to find out if the experimental product, sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (SG) in combination with pembrolizumab given after surgery, is effective and safe compared to the treatment of physician's choice (TPC) which includes either pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab plus capecitabine in participants with triple negative breast cancer that still remains after surgery and pre-surgical treatment. Read Less