Cancer Clinical Trials in Cedar Rapids, IA

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

This phase III trial studies how well trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and tucatinib work in preventing breast cancer from coming back (relapsing) in patients with high risk, HER2 positive breast cancer. T-DM1 is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called DM1. Trastuzumab is a form of targeted therapy because it attaches to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors, and delivers DM1 to kill them. Tucatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving T-DM1 and tucatinib may work better in preventing breast cancer from relapsing in patients with HER2 positive breast cancer compared to T-DM1 alone. Read Less

This phase II/III trial compares treatment with encorafenib and cetuximab to usual care (patient observation) for reducing the chance of cancer recurrence after standard surgery and chemotherapy in patients with BRAF-mutated stage IIB-III colon cancer. Encorafenib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Cetuximab is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It binds to a protein called EGFR, which is found on some types of tumor cells. This may help keep tumor cells from growing. Giving encorafenib and cetuximab after standard surgery and chemotherapy may be more effective at reducing the chance of cancer recurrence compared to the usual patient observation. Read Less

This phase III trial compares the effect of stero-ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) followed by standard of care systemic therapy, to standard of care systemic therapy alone, in patients with kidney cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to a limited (2-5) number of places in the body (metastatic). Study doctors want to find out if this approach is better or worse than the usual approach for metastatic kidney cancer. The usual approach is defined as the care most people get for metastatic kidney cancer which includes systemic therapy such as immunotherapy (given through the veins) and/or small molecular inhibitor (tablets taken by mouth). Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. SAbR uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. Giving SAbR prior to systemic therapy may kill more tumor cells than the usual approach, which is systemic therapy alone. Read Less

This study will examine the association between low muscle mass (myopenia) at diagnosis and chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with newly diagnosed advanced colorectal cancer. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop an effective internet-delivered program to help breast cancer survivors manage cancer-related sexual concerns. This study is being done to find out if the study approach is better or worse than the usual approach to helping breast cancer survivors manage cancer-related sexual concerns. The usual approach is defined as care most cancer survivors get for their cancer-related sexual concerns. Participants will complete a questionnaire and if they qualify, they will be assigned to one of sixteen groups of participants. Groups will get access to various kinds of help through an Internet-delivered program called SHINE, which was designed and is run by researchers at the University of Virginia Center for Behavioral Health and Technology. All groups will get access to education about sexual health after cancer: either a standard education website or an enhanced education web program. Groups may also receive up to three additional web programs on: talking to your clinicians about sexual concerns, and/or talking to your partner about sexual concerns, and/or increasing intimacy. Participants are asked to complete the SHINE program within 12 weeks. After participants finish this 12-week period, the study team will ask them to complete a questionnaire to check in with the participant. The participant will be asked one additional time 12 weeks later to complete another questionnaire to see how the participant is doing. A participant will be in the study for 24 weeks. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of completing PROs among AYAs randomized to Choice PRO vs Fixed PRO. Read Less

This trial studies how well paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab work in eliminating further chemotherapy after surgery in patients with HER2-positive stage II-IIIa breast cancer who have no cancer remaining at surgery (either in the breast or underarm lymph nodes) after pre-operative chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 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. Trastuzumab and pertuzumab are both a form of "targeted therapy" because they work by attaching themselves to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of tumor cells, known as HER2 receptors. When these drugs attach to HER2 receptors, the signals that tell the cells to grow are blocked and the tumor cell may be marked for destruction by the body's immune system. Giving paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab may enable fewer chemotherapy drugs to be given without compromising patient outcomes compared to the usual treatment. 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

Previous clinical studies with the MarginProbe (MP) system demonstrated the MP System diagnostic accuracy for identification of cancerous/abnormal tissue at the margins (≤ 1mm) of the ex-vivo lumpectomy specimen. The current study is a prospective data collection study with the enhanced technology, the MP2.0 System and is aimed at collecting data to optimize the system algorithm/procedure and to subsequently validate the system to demonstrate non-inferiority to the MP1.x system. In this study, MP2.0 system will be used on ex-vivo lumpectomy specimens at the Operating Room (OR). The study will collect a library of case information data using the MP2.0 system in sequential cohorts of a minimum of 50 subjects until the software and procedure are optimized. The final analysis sample size will be determined and outlined in the SAP based upon the results of the optimization stage. Read Less

This phase III trial compares the effect of the combination of ramucirumab and pembrolizumab versus standard of care chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer that is stage IV or that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. 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. This trial may help doctors find out if giving ramucirumab with pembrolizumab is more effective at treating patients with stage IV or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer than standard chemotherapy. Read Less

This phase III trial studies whether adding apalutamide to the usual treatment improves outcome in patients with lymph node positive prostate cancer after surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-ray to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Androgens, or male sex hormones, can cause the growth of prostate cancer cells. Drugs, such as apalutamide, may help stop or reduce the growth of prostate cancer cell growth by blocking the attachment of androgen to its receptors on cancer cells, a mechanism similar to stopping the entrance of a key into its lock. Adding apalutamide to the usual hormone therapy and radiation therapy after surgery may stabilize prostate cancer and prevent it from spreading and extend time without disease spreading compared to the usual approach. Read Less