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Consuelo Wilkins, MD, MSCI, Senior Vice President for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Senior Associate Dean for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, always knew she wanted to be a physician. "Health equity was built into everything I did, even if I didn’t know it or recognize it at the time," Wilkins said. "I have always learned and believed that people are the same — everyone deserves to be healthy, and everyone should have the best opportunities to take care of themselves and their families." Click below to learn more about health equity initiatives.

https://momentum.vicc.org/2021/09/everyone-deserves-to-be-healthy/
Vanderbilt was the lead site for an NIH-funded, phase 2, multicenter influenza vaccine study in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients that may lead to a change in the current flu vaccine recommendations in this vulnerable population. Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH and colleagues recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, that two doses of high-dose trivalent flu vaccine resulted in higher amounts of influenza-specific antibodies than two doses of standard dose quadrivalent vaccine.

https://news.vumc.org/2023/03/02/high-dose-flu-vaccine-beneficial-for-pediatric-stem-cell-transplant-patients/

Displaying 21 - 30 of 44

Testing What Happens When an Immunotherapy Drug (Pembrolizumab) is Given by Itself Compared to the Usual Treatment of Chemotherapy with Radiation after Surgery for Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head/Neck

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.
Head/Neck
II
Choe, Jennifer
NCT04671667
ECOGHNEA3191

Testing the Use of Investigational Drugs Atezolizumab and/or Bevacizumab with or without Standard Chemotherapy in the Second-Line Treatment of Advanced-Stage Head and Neck Cancers

This phase II/III compares the standard therapy (chemotherapy plus cetuximab) versus adding bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy, versus combination of just bevacizumab and atezolizumab in treating patients with head and neck cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic or advanced stage) or has come back after prior treatment (recurrent). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Bevacizumab is in a class of medications called antiangiogenic agents. It works by stopping the formation of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to tumor. This may slow the growth and spread of tumor. Cetuximab is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It binds to a protein called EGFR, which is found on some types of cancer cells. This may help keep cancer cells from growing. Cisplatin and carboplatin are in a class of chemotherapy medications known as platinum-containing compounds. They work by killing, stopping, or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Docetaxel is in a class of chemotherapy medications called taxanes. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. The addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy or combination therapy with bevacizumab and atezolizumab may be better than standard chemotherapy plus cetuximab in treating patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancers.
Not Available
II/III
Choe, Jennifer
NCT05063552
ECOGHNEA3202

A Study of the Drugs Selumetinib vs. Carboplatin and Vincristine in Patients with Low-Grade Glioma

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase III trial compares the effect of selumetinib versus the standard of care treatment with carboplatin and vincristine (CV) in treating patients with newly diagnosed or previously untreated low-grade glioma (LGG) that does not have a genetic abnormality called BRAFV600E mutation and is not associated with systemic neurofibromatosis type 1. Selumetinib works by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and may kill tumor cells. Carboplatin and vincristine are chemotherapy drugs that work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. The overall goal of this study is to see if selumetinib works just as well as the standard treatment of CV for patients with LGG. Another goal of this study is to compare the effects of selumetinib versus CV in subjects with LGG to find out which is better. Additionally, this trial will also examine if treatment with selumetinib improves the quality of life for subjects who take it.
Neuro-Oncology, Pediatrics
III
Pastakia, Devang
NCT04166409
COGACNS1833

Evaluating the Addition of the Immunotherapy Drug Atezolizumab to Standard Chemotherapy Treatment for Advanced or Metastatic Neuroendocrine Carcinomas That Originate Outside the Lung

Neuroendocrine

This phase II/III trial compares the effect of immunotherapy with atezolizumab in combination with standard chemotherapy with a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) and etoposide versus standard therapy alone for the treatment of poorly differentiated extrapulmonary (originated outside the lung) neuroendocrine cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) or that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). The other aim of this trial is to compare using atezolizumab just at the beginning of treatment versus continuing it beyond the initial treatment. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cisplatin and carboplatin are in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds that work by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill cancer cells. Giving atezolizumab in combination with a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) and etoposide may work better in treating patients with poorly differentiated extrapulmonary neuroendocrine cancer compared to standard therapy with a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) and etoposide alone.
Neuroendocrine
II/III
Ramirez, Robert
NCT05058651
SWOGGIS2012

ILND Surgery Alone or after Chemotherapy with or without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Advanced Penile Cancer

Miscellaneous

This phase III trial studies how well inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) surgery alone or after chemotherapy with or without intensity-modulated radiation therapy works in treating patients with penile cancer that has spread to other places in the body. Surgery is used to remove the lymph nodes and may be able to cure the cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and 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. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. It is not known whether having surgery after chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy is better than having surgery alone.
Miscellaneous
III
Rini, Brian
NCT02305654
ECOGUROEA8134

Standard Chemotherapy in Treating Young Patients with Medulloblastoma or Other Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors

Neuroblastoma (Pediatrics)

This phase IV trial studies how well standard chemotherapy works in treating young patients with medulloblastoma or other central nervous system embryonal tumors. Drugs used in standard chemotherapy 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.
Neuroblastoma (Pediatrics)
IV
Esbenshade, Adam
NCT02875314
VICCPED1751

Evolutionary Inspired Therapy for the Treatment of Fusion Positive Newly Diagnosed, Metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase II trial investigates evolutionary inspired therapy in treating fusion positive rhabdomyosarcoma that is newly diagnosed and has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Chemotherapy drugs, such as vinorelbine, vincristine sulfate, and actinomycin D, 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. Cyclophosphamide is used to decrease the body's immune response and may inhibit DNA replication and initiate cell death. This study is being done to determine which of 4 different therapeutic treatments will have the best chance of the disease not worsening or coming back.
Pediatrics, Sarcoma
II
Borinstein, Scott
NCT04388839
VICCPED2134

LCH-IV, International Collaborative Treatment Protocol for Children and Adolescents With Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

Multiple Cancer Types

The LCH-IV is an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study for pediatric
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis LCH (age < 18 years).
Miscellaneous, Pediatrics
III
Pastakia, Devang
NCT02205762
VICCPED2231

First in Human Study of Ziftomenib in Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Multiple Cancer Types

This first-in-human (FIH) dose-escalation and dose-validation/expansion study will assess
ziftomenib, a menin-MLL(KMT2A) inhibitor, in patients with relapsed or refractory acute
myeloid leukemia (AML) as part of Phase 1. In Phase 2, assessment of ziftomenib will continue
in patients with NPM1-m AML.
Leukemia, Phase I
I/II
Savona, Michael
NCT04067336
VICCHEMP20122

Study of DF1001 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Multiple Cancer Types

DF1001-001 is a study of a new molecule that targets natural killer (NK) cells and T-cell
activation signals to specific receptors on cancer cells. The study will occur in two phases.
The first phase will be a dose escalation phase, enrolling patients with various types of
solid tumors that express human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The second phase
will include a dose expansion using the best dose selected from the first phase of the study.
Multiple cohorts will be opened with eligible patients having either HER2 activated non-small
cell lung cancer, hormone receptor (HR) positive HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer, or
HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. DF1001-001 will be administered as monotherapy or in
combination; combinations are DF1001 + nivolumab, DF1001 + Nab paclitaxel, and DF1001 +
sacituzumab govitecan-hziy.
Miscellaneous, Phase I
I/II
Berlin, Jordan
NCT04143711
VICCPHI2064