Cancer Clinical Trials in Des Moines, IA

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 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 perioperative chemotherapy (given before and after surgery) versus adjuvant chemotherapy (given after surgery) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery (removable/resectable). Chemotherapy drugs, such as fluorouracil, irinotecan, leucovorin, 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. Giving chemotherapy before and after surgery (perioperatively) may work better in treating patients with pancreatic cancer compared to giving chemotherapy after surgery (adjuvantly). 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

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

People who have been treated for head and neck cancer (HNC survivors) can experience serious consequences from their cancer and its treatment, ongoing risks of new cancers, and other unrelated illnesses. These concerns pose challenges to the provision of comprehensive care to HNC survivors. We created HN-STAR to facilitate and tailor the ongoing care of HNC survivors. Survivors use HN-STAR on a computer or tablet to answer questions about symptoms and health concerns before a routine visit with a cancer care provider. During the clinic visit, the provider uses HN-STAR to see evidence-based recommendations for managing each concern reported by the survivor. The provider and survivor discuss recommendations and select appropriate actions (e.g., testing, referrals, prescriptions, self-management). HN-STAR produces a survivorship care plan that includes all reported concerns and the actions selected in clinic. The survivorship care plan is given to the survivor and the primary care provider. Three months, six months, and nine months later, the survivor uses HN-STAR from home (or clinic) to report their concerns again, and a new survivorship care plan is created each time. Our trial randomizes 20-36 oncology practices from the National Community Oncology Research Program to use HN-STAR or provide usual care to 298-400 recent survivors of head and neck cancer. We hypothesize that survivors in the HN-STAR arm will have greater improvement in patient-centered outcomes (including cancer-related well-being, symptoms, and patient activation) over one year compared to survivors in the usual care arm, measured by surveys at baseline and one year later. We also hypothesize that survivors in the HN-STAR arm will be more likely to receive care that is aligned with evidence-based recommendations during the year of the study than survivors in the usual care arm. Our final aim investigates the implementation of HN-STAR in clinical practice, using interviews and surveys of survivors, providers, and other clinic staff to understand the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and other aspects of providing survivorship care to head and neck cancer survivors. 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 letrozole with or without paclitaxel and carboplatin works in treating patients with stage II-IV low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum. Letrozole is an enzyme inhibitor that lowers the amount of estrogen made by the body which in turn may stop the growth of tumor cells that need estrogen to grow. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, 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 whether giving letrozole alone or in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin works better in treating patients with low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum compared to paclitaxel and carboplatin without letrozole. 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

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 intention of the study is to demonstrate superiority of Saruparib (AZD5305) + physician's choice NHA relative to placebo + physician's choice NHA by assessment of radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in participants with mCSPC. 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