Cancer Clinical Trials in Pittsburgh, PA

The NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NSS stands for Neuro-Stimulation System) is a disposable device that stimulates the branches of cranial nerves and of the superficial cervical plexus innervating the ear. Because the stimulation of the nerves of the ear by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NBD®) has been shown to modulate pain pathways in rodents, decrease abdominal pain in adolescents with inflammatory bile syndrome and due to the results of our preliminary pilot study, the investigators hypothesized that this technique may also be effective in reducing the requirement for postoperative opioids and provide a non-pharmacological alternative to perioperative opioid use. To establish the role that the stimulation of the nerves of the ear may have in reducing postoperative opioid requirement, the investigators are proposing to conduct a randomized, placebo controlled study in patients undergoing open abdominal or pelvic surgery requiring at least 5 days of hospitalization. Subjects who have signed an informed consent will be randomized in 2 groups (active NBD® group or inactive NBD® group). Furthermore, since preoperative and postoperative mood disorders have been shown to increase postoperative pain levels and opioid requirement by up to 50%, the investigators further hypothesize that the stimulation of the ear nerves by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® effects may be in part mediated by a reduction of the level of anxiety, depression and catastrophizing as assessed using validated questionnaires. Read Less

Spermatogonial stem cell transplantation through ultrasound guided rete testis injection and testicular tissue grafting will be performed for participants who have frozen testicular tissue prior to gonadotoxic therapy. The purpose of this study is to test the safety and feasibility of these transplant technologies and restore fertility for these participants. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine what effects (good and bad) cabozantinib has in treatment of patients with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The hypothesis for this trial is that cabozantinib has anti-tumor activity in a molecularly-selected group of patients with CRPC or patients with liver metastases. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of selinexor as a maintenance treatment in patients with p53 wt endometrial carcinoma (EC), who have achieved a partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) (per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 \[RECIST v 1.1\]) after completing at least 12 weeks of platinum-based therapy. A total of 220 participants will be enrolled in the study and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to maintenance therapy with either selinexor or placebo. Read Less

This is a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 different types of routine pain management regimens used during clinically indicated, minimally invasive oncologic (cancer) surgery. This project is considered "Research" and participation is voluntary. Upon enrollment in this study, the research team will collect data from the patient's medical records. The patient will undergo all of the normal testing and procedures required pre-operatively (standard of care). The study team will then randomly assign the patient (like a flip of a coin) to one of three different study arms for pain management during surgery: 1. Laparoscopic Transversus Abdominis Plane Block (LapTAP) with Local Anesthetic (LA) 2. Laparoscopic Transversus Abdominis Plane Block (LapTAP) only 3. Local Anesthetic (LA) only The patient will receive standard pre- and post-operative care according to clinical guidelines (routine care). The study team will collect information from the patient's medical record for the first 24 hours after their surgery and upon discharge. This information will include pain scores, amount of medication required, any side effects the patient may have experienced, and satisfaction with pain control. Participation in the study will end upon discharge from the hospital. Read Less

The investigators propose to evaluate the safety of drug combinations in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer and other gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. Finding effective novel therapies for patients with advanced gastric cancer and other GI malignancies is an area of great unmet need. The investigators believe that modulating the tumor microenvironment with biologic agents like cabozantinib will have synergistic effect when combined with checkpoint-based immunotherapeutics like durvalumab in this patient population. This is a phase I/II, open label, multi-cohort trial looking at safety, tolerability and efficacy endpoints. 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

The purpose of this study is to test a new method of experimental treatment for cutaneous squamous cell skin cancer, using small adhesive-like patches (a micro-needle applicator or MNA for short), which have dozens of very small micro-needles loaded with extremely low doses of doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent. The overall goal of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of these patches. The investigators have established the highest tolerated dose at 50 micrograms in a previous study for a different type of cancer that affects the skin. The investigators will thoroughly evaluate the skin where the patches are applied. Read Less

Study CJB-101-01 will be conducted at multiple centers in the USA and Republic of Korea as an open-label safety and preliminary efficacy study of CJRB-101 in combination with pembrolizumab in subjects with selected types of advanced or metastatic cancer. The proposed study intends to address the unmet medical needs of low response rate and refractoriness to immune checkpoint inhibitors typically observed in this subject population by performing assessments of response, dose limiting toxicities, pharmacodynamic, and the effect on microbiome biomarkers at different dose levels of CJRB-101 combined with pembrolizumab. Read Less

This is a randomized controlled trial to compare survival for patients who undergoe robotic assisted laparoscopy versus open hysterectomy and lymph node assessment for the treatment of early stage cervical cancer. Read Less

Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including pembrolizumab, have emerged as a promising option in several solid cancers with durable effect and low toxicity profile. However, the benefit is limited to smaller subset of solid tumors. This trial involves the enhancement of current immune checkpoint-based immunotherapy with ALX148, an agent that inhibits CD47 (a trans-membrane protein that is highly expressed on the surface of many solid tumors as compared to normal cells). Read Less

This is a study to investigate the efficacy and safety of an infusion of IOV-4001 in adult participants with unresectable or metastatic melanoma or advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read Less