Cancer Clinical Trials in Des Moines, IA

This phase II/III trial compares the addition of radiation therapy to the usual treatment (immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy) versus (vs.) usual treatment alone in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) or that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) whose tumor is also negative for a molecular marker called PD-L1. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, ipilimumab may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. The addition of radiation therapy to usual treatment may stop the cancer from growing and increase the life of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who are PD-L1 negative. 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 phase III trial studies how well the addition of radiotherapy to the usual treatment (chemotherapy) works compared to the usual treatment alone in treating patients with esophageal and gastric cancer that has spread to a limited number of other places in the body (oligometastatic disease). Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays, gamma rays, or protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in usual chemotherapy, such as leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine, 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. Adding radiotherapy to the usual chemotherapy may work better compared to the usual chemotherapy alone in treating patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. Read Less

This phase III trial compares pembrolizumab with radiation therapy to pembrolizumab without radiation therapy (standard therapy) given after pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Pembrolizumab is a type of immunotherapy that stimulates the body's immune system to fight cancer cells. Pembrolizumab targets and blocks a protein called PD-1 on the surface of certain immune cells called T-cells. Blocking PD-1 triggers the T-cells to find and kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high-powered rays to kill cancer cells. Giving radiation with pembrolizumab may be more effective at treating patients with metastatic head and neck cancer than the standard therapy of giving pembrolizumab alone. 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 phase II trial compares the effect of atezolizumab in combination with usual treatment with cabozantinib to cabozantinib alone in patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is a type of kidney cancer that forms in the lining of the tiny tubes in the kidney that return filtered substances that the body needs back to the blood and remove extra fluid and waste as urine. Most papillary tumors look like long, thin finger-like growths under a microscope. It is also called papillary kidney cancer or PRCC. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the tumor and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cabozantinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals tumor cells to multiply and may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. By these actions it may help slow or stop the spread of tumor cells. Combination therapy with atezolizumab and cabozantinib may shrink the tumor and allow a longer survival time in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Read Less

This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy with or without cisplatin works in treating patients with stage III-IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have undergone surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, 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. It is not yet known if radiation therapy is more effective with or without cisplatin in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. 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

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 clinical trial compares the use of the connected customized treatment platform (CONCURxP), consisting of using a medication monitoring device called WiseBag along with text message reminders for missed or extra medication events, to enhanced usual care (EUC), where patients only use the WiseBag, to monitor medication adherence in patients with metastatic breast cancer who are taking a CKD4/6 inhibitor. To ensure CDK4/6 inhibitors achieve their full clinical benefit, patients need to take them as prescribed, following a complex treatment schedule. Forgetfulness was the most common reason reported for medication non adherence. Using the WiseBag along with CONCURxP or enhanced usual care may improve medication adherence in patients with metastatic breast cancer who are taking a CKD4/6 inhibitor. Read Less

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 II trial studies how well osimertinib works in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation that is stage IIIB-IV or has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). Osimertinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Read Less