Cancer Clinical Trials in Pittsburgh, PA

The purpose of this study is to determine how well participants with stage II-III HER2-positive breast cancer respond to pre-operative treatment using one of two different combinations of drugs. Drugs and Combinations used: Paclitaxel, Pertzumab and Margetuximab (Margenza) Paclitaxel, Pertzumab and Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Read Less

One of the primary criticisms of mammography is that it leads to unneeded stress and anxiety from identification and biopsy of non-cancerous findings. Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) has the potential to significantly reduce biopsy rates for commonly seen benign breast lesions while preserving very high cancer detection. The investigators propose a prospective clinical study of patients with diagnostic mammograms rated as BIRADS 4A or 4B and scheduled for a biopsy, in which, prior to undergoing their scheduled biopsy, a CEM procedure is performed. The investigators will test the primary hypothesis that for soft tissue lesions (i.e. masses, asymmetries, architectural distortions) initially rated BI-RADS 4A/4B adding CEM will reduce, by at least 20%, the number of biopsy recommendations for actually benign cases and, at the same time, provide a negative predictive value (NPV) higher than 95%. Read Less

This is a Phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy, using objective response rate, of a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen followed by infusion of autologous Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) and high-dose aldesleukin in patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic biliary tract cancer. These are low-incidence cancers carry a poor prognosis. Participants will include patients with biliary tract cancers (BTC), including cholangiocarcinoma (both intrahepatic and extrahepatic) and gallbladder cancer, who are and are physically able to tolerate non-myeloablative chemotherapy and high-dose aldesleukin. Read Less

This is a Phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen followed by infusion of autologous TIL and high-dose aldesleukin in patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer associated with one of the following cancer types: 1.) gastric/esophagogastric, 2.) colorectal, 3.) pancreatic, 4.) sarcoma, 5.) mesothelioma, 6.) neuroendocrine, 7.) squamous cell cancer, 8.) Merkle cell, 9.) mismatch repair deficient and/or microsatellite unstable cancers, and 10.) patients who have exhausted conventional systemic therapy options by using the objective response rate (ORR). 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

This phase II trial studies how well lower-dose chemotherapy plus radiation (chemoradiation) therapy works in comparison to standard-dose chemoradiation in treating patients with early-stage anal cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as mitomycin, fluorouracil, 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. This study may help doctors find out if lower-dose chemoradiation is as effective and has fewer side effects than standard-dose chemoradiation, which is the usual approach for treatment of this cancer type. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies how well crizotinib works in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery and has a mutation in a protein called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Mutations, or changes, in ALK can make it very active and important for tumor cell growth and progression. Crizotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the ALK protein from working. Crizotinib may be an effective treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and an ALK fusion mutation. Read Less

This prospective study recruits patients with ER+/HER2-, non-metastatic breast cancer who omit upfront surgery in favor of primary endocrine therapy for sample collection and prospective circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) measurement to guide disease surveillance. Read Less

Previous research suggests that children and adolescents with cancer are at heightened risk of late effects that can occur months or years after cancer treatment, yet little is known about programs that increase their return for follow-up cancer care and late effects surveillance. This study will evaluate the impact of an electronic personal health record and education system, SurvivorLink, for pediatric cancer survivors and their caregivers. The researchers will develop a standardized intervention and training for the SurvivorLink trial, followed by conducting a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation, clustered randomized, waitlist control trial to evaluate the impact of SurvivorLink on pediatric cancer patients' one year follow-up visits and completion of screening tests. The study will also assess the impact of SurvivorLink on caregiver's patient activation, survivor's and caregiver's quality of life, and self-efficacy to manage a chronic condition. This study will provide the evidence base about the effects of the system to improve follow-up care for children and adolescents with cancer and best practices for implementation for pediatric cancer centers. Read Less

All subjects will receive the vaccine subcutaneously every 3 weeks x 3 with optional yearly booster vaccines up to and including 5 years post last vaccine for those patients who are confirmed responders to the vaccine . The rationale for using Poly-ICLC as an adjuvant are two ongoing trials at University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) of the MUC1 100mer peptide vaccine - one as a therapeutic vaccine in subjects with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer and the other in subjects with advanced colonic adenomas at risk for developing colon cancer. The same formulation, MUC1 100mer peptide admixed with Poly-ICLC, is used in both trials. There has been no toxicity observed and the vaccine is highly immunogenic in early disease. In the proposed NSCLC trial the anti-MUC1 immune response will be thoroughly characterized. Read Less

This is a trial studying patients with human papilloma virus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal cancer with tumors that can be removed via transoral surgery. Following surgery, patients will be classified as either low, intermediate, or high risk based on the characteristics of the tumors. Low risk patients (Arm S) will receive no further treatment after surgery. Intermediate risk patients (Arm RT) will be treated with Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) after surgery. High risk patients (Arm CRT) will receive a combination of IMRT and chemotherapy after surgery. Patients will be followed for up to five years after the completion of treatment. Read Less

Previous studies of high dose testosterone therapy given intramuscularly to men with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer suggest that high serum levels of testosterone may be required for clinical response. This injection regimen was given as one dose of 400mg injection every 28 days, which initially produces high serum testosterone levels but these levels drop to a varying degree in some men over the 28-day cycle. In this 30 patient trial will analyze the effects of oral testosterone therapy in men with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer taken on a schedule of seven days of oral testosterone therapy followed by seven days of no therapy for a twenty-eight day cycle. This therapy will be given for three 28 day cycles consecutively followed by radiographic scans to evaluate the metastatic disease. Patients will be allowed to continue on this therapy until the patients show signs of radiographic progression. If the patients show signs of radiographic progression after the first three cycles, the patients will stop taking the oral testosterone therapy and begin taking enzalutamide therapy. Enzalutamide therapy will be taken for three 28 day cycles, then radiographic scans will be taken. If there are no signs of radiographic progression, patients can continue to take enzalutamide therapy for an additional 3 cycles while on study. Patients with continued PSA or objective response will come off study but continue on enzalutamide as standard of care therapy. This study will help the investigators to understand if treating these men with the highest FDA approved dose of oral testosterone therapy will achieve similar and sustained high levels of serum testosterone that will produce similar or enhanced therapeutic response to the therapy when compared to the serum testosterone levels found in the previous injection therapy trials. Read Less