Head and Neck Cancer Center

Below are current clinical trials.

Filter this list of studies by location, status and more.

1. Cardiotoxic Effects of Chemotherapy in Patients with Sarcomas

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to determine if two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) derived-strain can detect early myocardial dysfunction and thus predict cardiotoxicity in sarcoma subjects undergoing anthracycline therapy and to compare three dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) to 2D-STE in the same group of patients.

2. A Study to Evaluate Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery and Pituitary Surgery Quality of Life

   Rochester, Minn.

   The objectives of this study are to:

   • • Measure the short and long-term overall and nasal-specific quality of life (QOL) impact of patients undergoing Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery (EESBS) for pituitary and sellar lesions.
     • Determine the relative difference in QOL impact of EESBS for patients undergoing surgery for functional and nonfunctional pituitary adenomas.
     • Generate baseline data to development and validate a site-specific endoscopic-specific comprehensive QOL for EESBS.
     • Particular tumors of interest include pituitary tumors, Rathke’s cleft cysts, craniopharyngiomas, clival chordomas and chondrosarcomas.
     • Specific QOL aims focus on olfaction (sense of smell), gustation (sense of taste) and nasal function.

    

    

3. A Study to Evaluate Fractionated Radiation Therapy Utilizing GRID Therapy for Locally-advanced Bulky Tumors

   Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla.

   The purpose of this research is to study radiographic control at the 3 month time-point, the side effects (good & bad), survival outcomes and proof of this idea in patients who have had grid therapy for locally advanced bulky tumors of the heat and neck, thorax, abdomen and extremities.

4. Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Surgery

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to anayze the usefulness of treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab in addition to standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who are undergoing surgery. Immunotherapy with antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may remove the brake on the body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may reduce the tumor size and the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed during surgery. A combined treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy might be more effective in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who are undergoing surgery.

5. Randomized Phase II/III Trial of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy with Cisplatin, Docetaxel-Cetuximab, or Cisplatin-Atezolizumab in Pathologic High-Risk Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck

   Rochester, Minn.

   This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well radiation therapy works when given together with cisplatin compared to docetaxel or cetuximab and docetaxel after surgery in treating patients with stage III-IV squamous cell head and neck cancer. Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or transmit tumor killing molecules to them. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective when given with cisplatin, docetaxel, or cetuximab and docetaxel.

6. Effect of Agent Orange Exposure on Endocrine Tumor Aggressiveness

   Jacksonville, Fla., Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The intent is to collect relevant clinical data on patients exposed to Agent Orange plus assessment of the tissue for genetic mutations known to be associated with growth of thyroid cancer and pituitary tumors and report our findings as a descriptive case series.

7. A Study of Sonidegib and Pembrolizumab in Advanced Solid Tumors

   Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The purpose of this study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of sonidegib in combination with pembrolizumab in participants with advanced solid tumors as part of the dose escalation phase, and to estimate the response rate of sonidegib in combination with pembrolizumab in participants with NSCLC or pancreas cancer as part of the expansion cohort based on RECIST criteria.

8. A Study of the Impact of the Terminology Used to Identify Papillary Thyroid Cancer on the Treatment Options Chosen by Patients

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to explore how using different terms (with or without the word cancer) to identify papillary thyroid cancer might affect the decisions patients would make about treatment.

9. An Expansion Study to Evaluate Dose Escalation, Safety and Tolerability of SAR444881 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

   Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of SAR444881 alone and in combination with pembrolizumab or with cetuximab. The study will enroll advanced cancer patients with unresectable or metastatic disease who are refractory to or are not candidates for standard approved therapy and will be comprised of two parts - an initial "3 + 3" dose escalation phase with subparts 1A (monotherapy BND-22), 1B (BND-22 in combination with pembrolizumab) and 1C (BND-22 in combination with cetuximab) followed by a dose expansion phase (part 2) 

10. A Study to Identify Biomarkers in the Blood, Saliva or Tissue for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer

    Rochester, Minn.

    The purpose of this study is to identify a biomarker (or biomarkers) that is present when disease is present (i.e., at diagnosis or recurrence) and not present when disease is absent (i.e., after treatment, in HPV negative patients or in normal controls).