Maryland Paid Clinical Trials

This phase II trial studies the effect of pembrolizumab alone compared to the usual approach (chemotherapy \[cisplatin and carboplatin\] plus radiation therapy) after surgery in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has come back (recurrent) or patients with a second head and neck cancer that is not from metastasis (primary). Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation or protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Carboplatin is also 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 cancer cells. 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. Giving pembrolizumab alone after surgery may work better than the usual approach in shrinking recurrent or primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Read Less

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive cancer of the bile ducts. People with CCA have few treatment options and poor survival. Researchers want to see if a new drug can stop or slow CCA growth. Objective: To find the safest and most effective dose of tivozanib to treat CCA and learn its overall response rate. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older with CCA not removable with surgery and have been treated with at least one type of chemotherapy. Design: Participants will be screened with the following: * Medical history * Physical exam * Assessment of their ability to do daily activities * Medicine review * Blood tests, including thyroid function tests * Urine tests * Electrocardiogram, to check heart function * Pregnancy test, if needed * Tumor biopsy, if needed * Computed tomography scans * Magnetic resonance imaging, if needed Some screening tests may be repeated during the study. Participants will be asked to enroll in protocol #13C0176. This will allow any remaining tumor or blood samples to be used in future research. Participants will take tivozanib by mouth, once a day for 21 days per cycle or every other day per cycle. Each cycle is 28 days. They can take the drug until they have bad side effects, their CCA gets worse, or if they become pregnant. They will record their blood pressure twice daily at home. They will also keep a medication diary of each dose of tivozanib they take and any side effects. Participants will have study visits before starting each new cycle and every 8 weeks. They will also have a follow-up visit 30 days after treatment ends at NIH, or if they are unable to come to NIH by phone, videocall, or other NIH-approved platform. Then they will be contacted 6 and 12 months later, and then once a year. ... 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

Background: Some men who have been treated for localized prostate cancer with surgery or radiation still show signs of the disease in their blood. This is called biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. Radium-223 is a small molecule. It uses radiation to kill cancer cells and improves survival in advanced prostate cancer. Researchers want to see if it can treat prostate cancer and induced immune changes earlier in the disease when the cancer is only detectable by prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. Objective: To learn how Radium-223 affects men with rising PSA but no evidence of cancer on conventional CT or bone scan, but positive findings on PET or molecular imaging in the bones. The primary focus is impact on the immune system with secondary focus on impact on PSA and imaging. Eligibility: Men ages 18 and older with prostate cancer who have had surgery and/or radiation, but their PSA is rising even though no disease is visible on routine imaging scans (CT or bone scans). Patients are required to have PET or molecular imaging findings in bones, but not organs (lymph nodes are allowed). Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. Their ability to do normal tasks will be reviewed. They will give tissue samples or a report from their doctor about their cancer. They will have blood and urine tests. They will have an electrocardiogram to measure heart function. They will have a scan of their chest and abdomen using radiation or magnetic resonance imaging. They will have a bone scan with injection of Tc99. They will have a positron emission tomography scan with intravenous (IV) injection of 18F-NaF. Participants will get Radium-223 by IV. For this, a small plastic tube is put into an arm vein. Radium-223 will be given on Day 1 of each cycle (1 cycle = 4 weeks) for up to 6 cycles. Participants will repeat the screening tests during the study. They will also complete Quality of Life Surveys and give stool samples. After treatment, participants will have long-term follow-up every 6 weeks for the rest of their lives.... Read Less

Background: Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Healthy diet and exercise improve heart health. Some features of where a person lives can lead to stress and decrease chances for exercise. Researchers want to see how these factors may increase the risk of heart disease in women. Objective: To see if there are differences in stress levels between women who live in different parts of Washington, DC. Also, to see how these women use their neighborhoods for exercise. Eligibility: Healthy white or black females ages 19-45 who live in Washington, DC, who have access to a smartphone Design: Participants may stay at the NIH Clinical Center overnight for a 2-day visit. Visit 1 will include: Physical exam Blood tests Electrocardiogram: Electrodes on the participant s skin will measure heart activity. PET/CT scan: Participants will get an injection. They will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the body. Surveys Body size measurements Nutrition consultation Blood vessel tests: This is measured with blood pressure cuffs, a device placed on the participant s fingertip, and a probe placed on the participant s neck. Resting Energy Expenditure: Participants will breathe under a clear hood for 45 minutes. Participants will be followed for about 2 weeks. They will wear a device on the wrist and carry a GPS device. Through a mobile app, they will answer short daily surveys on stress and exercise. Visit 2- Device return Nutritional consultation Read Less

The purpose of this Clinical Research Collaboration is to investigate the prognostic implications of pulmonary hemodynamics during exercise based on a large scale multi-centre approach by using retrospective and prospective analysis of hemodynamic data. Read Less

Background: Glioma is a type of brain cancer. Some of these tumors have gene mutations. These mutations can cause a substance called 2-HG to build up in the brain. This makes the tumors more aggressive. Researchers want to better understand 2-HG buildup in the brain. They hope this can help them design better ways to test for gliomas. Objective: To monitor the level of 2-HG in the brains of people with gliomas that have mutations in the IDH1 or IDH2 genes. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older with gliomas with mutations in the IDH1 or IDH2 genes Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical and cancer history Physical exam Reviews of their symptoms and ability to perform normal activities Blood and urine tests MRI scan Samples of their tumor from a past surgery Documentation of their diagnosis and mutation status Participants will have an initial evaluation. This will include repeats of screening tests. It will also include: Neurological exam MRS and MRI scans of the brain: Participants will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder. A coil or soft padding will be placed around their head. They will have a contrast agent injected into a vein. Pictures will be taken of the brain. Participants will have follow-up visits every 2-6 month for the rest of their life. Visits will include scans. ... Read Less

Background: Chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer. It occurs in the skull base or spine. Researchers want to study people with chordoma in different ways. They hope this will help them design better future treatments and supportive care studies for this disease. Objective: To learn more about chordoma by looking at its clinical course, how it appears on imagine scans, and how it responds to therapies and treatments. Eligibility: People ages 2 and older with chordoma who are enrolled in NCI protocol 19-C-0016 Design: Participants will be screened with their medical history. Participants will have a visit to examine their disease. This will include: * Physical exam * Neurologic exam * CT scan and MRI: Participants will lie on a table. The table will slide into a machine. The machine will take pictures of the body. Participants will have other tests every 6-12 months: * Smell test * Surveys to assess their emotional, physical, and behavioral well-being and needs * Cognitive function tests Participants or their home doctors will be contacted every 6 12 months. They will be asked to provide information about their disease. This could include test results and imaging evaluations. Some participants may be asked to come to the clinic for more visits. ... Read Less

Background: Blood, tissue, and tumor cells contain genes. Genes are made up of DNA. DNA is the instruction book for each cell. In some people with cancer, the genes that might have slowed the growth of their tumor were turned off. Researchers want to see if a new drug can turn the genes back on and slow the tumor growth. The drug is called Aza-TdC. Objective: To test the safety of Aza-TdC, and to find out the dose of this drug that can be safely given to humans. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who have advanced cancer that has gotten worse after standard treatment, or for which no effective therapy exists Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Blood and urine tests Scans to measure their tumors Test to measure the electrical activity of the heart Participants will take the study drug by mouth. The drug is given in cycles. Each cycle is 21 days (3 weeks) long. Week 1 and week 2: participants will take the study drug once a day for 5 days. Then they will have 2 days without the drug. Week 3: no study drug is taken. This completes one cycle of treatment. For cycle 1, participants will repeat the screening tests several times. For all other cycles, participants will have blood tests and pregnancy tests. They will have scans of their tumor every 6 weeks. The cycle will be repeated as long as the participant tolerates the drug and the cancer is either stable or gets better. Sponsoring Institute: National Cancer Institute ... Read Less

Objective: To screen and create a list of adult volunteers in good health for participation in research studies conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Develop a normative set of structural and functional brain MRI scans and MEG recordings that are linked to healthy research volunteer characteristics. Maximize scientific impact of data from volunteers by broadly sharing with other researchers. Study Population: Adult males and females in general good health who are 18 to 70 years of age. Design: This study has 2 parts. Part 1 is an online screen in which interested participants are asked to complete online forms that will help determine their eligibility for Part 2, which is an in-person assessment at the NIH Clinical Center. In addition, there are 3 optional procedures, an optional MRI brain scan, MEG recording, and electrocardiography (EKG) that are completed at the NIH Clinical Center. Procedures are done in sequence unless a person is found to be ineligible to move to the next step. Adult individuals who are interested in participating in NIMH IRP clinical studies as a healthy research volunteer can directly visit or be directed to visit the study website where they will first consent electronically and then complete a set of online self-report measures. Items may include: demographic information, mental health symptoms, psychological measures, disability status, substance use patterns, and clinical/family history. Individuals who are flagged based on predetermined responses to survey items may be further screened by a member of the study clinical team. If found to be ineligible for the study because of a clinically significant or unstable medical or mental health condition, these individuals will be referred back to the community and/or given information about NIMH clinical studies for which they may be eligible. Respondents with no flags or who pass through additional screening will be eligible for a clinical (in-person) assessment at the NIH Clinical Center. During the in-person outpatient appointment the participant will provide informed consent for the clinical assessment and optional MRI and MEG studies. At that point they are considered enrolled in the study. The clinical assessment may include safety assessment, vital signs, history and physical, labs, cognitive tests, mental health surveys, and structured psychiatric diagnostic interview. Some assessments may be conducted either in-person or virtually using approved telehealth services. Laboratory tests will be done for routine clinical purposes and can include additional blood samples for future secondary analysis that could include genetic or biomarker assays. The consent form will explicitly inform participants that if enrolled in the study, their de-identified data will be broadly and publicly shared through NIH-approved data repositories. Participants in this recruitment and characterization study may then be placed on a list of healthy research volunteers and their contact information may be shared with other NIMH IRP studies. Outcome Measures: * Primary outcome measure - List of well characterized healthy volunteers including demographic, psychological, physical, laboratory, MEG, and MRI data; and utilization of volunteer participants by NIMH IRP investigators. * Secondary outcome measure - Upload of de-identified healthy volunteer characterization data to an open access data repository for secondary research purposes; data may include demographic, psychological, physical, laboratory, MEG, and MRI measures.... Read Less

Background: The drug Nivolumab has been approved to treat some cancers. Researchers want to see if it can slow the growth of other cancers. They want to study its effects on cancers that may have not responded to chemotherapy or other treatments. Objectives: To see if Nivolumab slows the growth of some types of cancer or stops them from getting worse. To test the safety of the drug. Eligibility: People 12 and older who have Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-positive lymphoproliferative disorders or EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphomas with no standard therapy Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests CAT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis Tumor and bone marrow biopsies (sample taken) Magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain Lumbar puncture (also known as spinal tap) Positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan with a radioactive tracer Every 2 weeks, participants will get Nivolumab by vein over about 1 hour. They will also have: Physical exam Blood and pregnancy tests Review of side effects and medications During the study, participants will repeat most of the screening tests. They may also have other biopsies. After stopping treatment, participants will have a visit every 3 months for 1 year. Then they will have a visit every 6 months for years 2-5, and then once a year. They will have a physical exam and blood tests. Read Less

Background: People with Williams Syndrome (WS) and supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) have less elasticity in their blood vessels. This is called blood vessel stiffness. Blood vessels may have focal narrowings called stenoses or may just be globally more narrow. Objectives: Researchers want to see how blood vessel differences in people with Williams Syndrome and supravalvular aortic stenosis affect organs in the body including the heart, gut, kidneys, and brain. Eligibility: People ages 3-85 who have WS or SVAS Healthy volunteers ages 3-85 Design: * Participants will have yearly visits for up to 10 years. All participants will be offered the same tests. * Participants will give consent for the study team to review their medical records. If the participant is a child or an adult with WS, a parent or guardian will give the consent. * Participants will visit the NIH where they will have a physical exam and medical history. Based on their health history, participants will undergo a series of imaging tests and measures of blood vessel function over the course of 2-4 days. Tests of cognitive abilites will also be performed. Blood will be drawn and an IV may be placed for specific tests. Read Less