Radiation Oncology

Below are current clinical trials.

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1. Chemotherapy Alone or Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Undergoing Surgery

   Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer involves chemotherapy and radiation, known as 5FUCMT, (the chemotherapy drugs 5-fluorouracil/capecitabine and radiation therapy) prior to surgery. Although radiation therapy to the pelvis has been a standard and important part of treatment for rectal cancer and has been shown to decrease the risk of the cancer coming back in the same area in the pelvis, some patients experience undesirable side effects from the radiation and there have been important advances in chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation which may be of benefit. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects, both good and bad, of the standard treatment of chemotherapy and radiation to chemotherapy using a combination regimen known as FOLFOX, (the drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin and leucovorin) and selective use of the standard treatment, depending on response to the FOLFOX. The drugs in the FOLFOX regimen are all FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved and have been used routinely to treat patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

2. A Study to Compare Administering Olaparib Concurrently With Radiotherapy vs. Radiotherapy Alone in Treating Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer

   Rochester, Minn., Eau Claire, Wis., La Crosse, Wis.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate how well radiation therapy with or without olaparib works in treating patients with inflammatory breast cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Olaparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy with or without olaparib may work better in treating patients with inflammatory breast cancer.

3. Study to Determine the Impact of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Using 18F-DOPA (a chemical tracer that highlights certain cells during imaging) During Planning for Proton Beam Radiation Therapy.

   Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The purpose of this study is to utilize a novel approach of combining advanced radiation delivery with proton beam therapy with advanced tumor visualization with 18F-DOPA PET and MRI imaging. We will study the effectiveness and safety of this technique delivering the entire treatment over 1-2 weeks.

4. Study of Proton SBRT and Immunotherapy for Recurrent/Progressive Locoregional or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

   Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., Rochester, Minn.

   This study observes the clinical efficacy of combining proton SBRT with PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in both the locoregionally recurrent and metastatic settings.

5. A Study to Determine the Best Individualized Cancer Therapy Using Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Patients with GI, CNS, and Thoracic Cancers.

   Jacksonville, Fla.

   This study proposes to develop and maintain a biorepository of blood samples collected from patients receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, or cervical cancer. The ultimate goal of this biorepository will be to provide the resource to initiate an exploration of ctDNA as a potential liquid biopsy for GI and Thoracic malignancy detection and surveillance.

6. A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunological Effect of Pembrolizumab in Resectable or Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

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

   The purpose of this study is to investigate whether pembrolizumab (MK-3475 ) can be used safely during neoadjuvant treatment and can improve the body's immune response against pancreatic cancer. Pembrolizumab has been approved for treatment of patients with melanoma but has not been proven to be safe or helpful in patients with pancreatic cancer and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this purpose.

7. A Study of Proton Radiation Divided into Fewer Doses for Low Risk Prostate Cancer

   Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to compare the effects (good and bad) on patients with prostate cancer by comparing the standard dose of radiation therapy (44 treatments over 8½-9 weeks) with a higher daily dose of radiation (5 treatments over 1-2 weeks) to see if the effects of the treatments are similar or better.

8. A Study of Photon and Proton Chemoradiotherapy as Definitive or Neoadjuvant Therapy in Non-Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

   Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to observe adverse events and effectiveness of hypofractionated concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

    

9. Radiation Therapy With Concomitant and Adjuvant Temozolomide Versus Radiation Therapy With Adjuvant PCV Chemotherapy in Patients With Anaplastic Glioma or Low Grade Glioma

   Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla.

   Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether giving radiation with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide versus radiation with adjuvant PCV is more effective in treating anaplastic glioma or low grade glioma.

10. Use of Navigator Echoes for 4D-MRI

    Rochester, Minn.

    The general aim of this proposal is to evaluate new non-significant risk (NSR) MRI technology in a clinical setting, specifically the use of preclinical (non-FDA-approved) sequences (including but not limited to bSSFP, SSFSE) which have been modified from their standard counterparts to include interleaved 1D body navigator pulses.