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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 1 - 10 of 172

Avelumab or Hydroxychloroquine with or without Palbociclib for the Treatment of Stage II-III Breast Cancer, PALAVY Study

Breast

This phase II trial investigates the effect of avelumab or hydroxychloroquine sulfate with or without palbociclib in treating patients with stage II-III breast cancer that is positive for disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) after curative therapy. DTCs are breast cancer cells that are asleep (dormant) in the bone marrow. There are multiple ways in which these cells stay alive, and three of these mechanisms are inhibited by the drugs in this trial. First, dormant cancer cells need a protein signal pathway involving CDK 4/6 to start dividing once they wake up in order to survive as an active cancer cell. Palbociclib works by blocking the CDK 4/6 protein and by doing so may limit the dormant cancer cell from being able to survive. In addition, palbociclib may also help both of the other drugs in the trial to work better. Second, dormant cancer cells also use a process called autophagy to generate their own nutrition, which can allow them to stay asleep. Hydroxychloroquine has been shown to block autophagy, which leads to starvation of the cells. Third, dormant cancer cells are able to hide from the bodys immune system. The immune system sends a type of cell called T cells throughout the body to detect and fight infections and diseasesincluding cancers. One way the immune system controls the activity of T cells is through the PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed cell death protein-1) pathway. However, some cancer cells hide from T-cell attack by taking control of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and this stops T cells from attacking cancer cells. Avelumab is an antibody designed to block the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and helps the immune system in detecting and fighting dormant cancer cells. Because palbociclib, hydroxychloroquine, and avelumab work on the mechanisms that keep the dormant cells alive, taking one or a combination of these drugs may be able to eliminate DTCs.
Breast
II
Reid, Sonya
NCT04841148
VICCBRE2161

Gabapentin plus Ketamine for the Prevention of Acute and Chronic Pain in Patients with Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiation

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of a combination of gabapentin and ketamine and to see how well it works to prevent acute and chronic pain in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) for head and neck cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Gabapentin is a medication that is commonly used to treat nerve related pain. Specifically, it has been used to treat pain involving the mouth, throat and nasal passages in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation. Ketamine is a type of general anesthetic that blocks pathways to the brain involved with sensing pain. This trial may help doctors determine how patients tolerate the combination of gabapentin and ketamine and to find the correct dosing for ketamine in those taking gabapentin. This will be the basis for a future, larger study to look at how effective this combination is at reducing and/or preventing pain in head and neck cancer patients.
Head/Neck, Phase I
I/II
Lockney, Natalie
NCT05156060
VICCHNP2173

CIBMTR Research Database

Hematologic

The primary purpose of the Research Database is to have a comprehensive source of
observational data that can be used to study HSC transplantation and cellular therapies.

A secondary purpose of the Research Database is to have a comprehensive source of data to
study marrow toxic injuries.

Objectives:

To learn more about what makes stem cell transplants and cellular therapies work well such
as:

- Determine how well recipients recover from their transplants or cellular therapy;

- Determine how recovery after a transplant or cellular therapy can be improved;

- Determine how a donor's or recipient's genetics impact recipient recovery after a
transplant or cellular therapy;

- Determine how access to transplant or cellular therapy for different groups of patients
can be improved;

- Determine how well donors recover from the collection procedures.
Hematologic
N/A
Kassim, Adetola
NCT01166009
VICCCTT1110

Sparing Bone Marrow in Patients with Stage IIB-IV Lung Cancer, VMAT Trial

Lung

This phase II trial tests whether designing radiation to avoid bone marrow in the spine (vertebral bone marrow) leads to less reduction of white blood cell counts (lymphopenia) in patients with lung cancer. This sparing technique could lead to better disease control and outcome.
Lung
N/A
Osmundson, Evan
NCT05248256
VICCRAD2189

Hypofractionated Radiotherapy followed by Surgery for the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Sarcoma

This phase II trial studies the effect of hypofractionated radiotherapy followed by surgery in treating patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Hypofractionated radiation therapy delivers higher doses of radiation therapy over a shorter period of time and may kill more tumor cells and have fewer side effects. Giving hypofractionated radiotherapy followed by surgery may allow patients with sarcomas to be treated in a much more rapid and convenient fashion.
Sarcoma
II
Shinohara, Eric
NCT04506008
VICCSAR2062

HLA-Mismatched Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation With Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide

Multiple Cancer Types

This is a prospective, multi-center, Phase II study of hematopoietic cell transplantation
(HCT) using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched unrelated donors (MMUD) for peripheral
blood stem cell transplant in adults and bone marrow stem cell transplant in children.
Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy), tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) will be
used for for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. This trial will study how well
this treatment works in patients with hematologic malignancies.
Hematologic, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome
II
Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai
NCT04904588
VICCCTT2171

Treosulfan-Based Conditioning Regimen before a Blood or Bone Marrow Transplant for the Treatment of Bone Marrow Failure Diseases (BMT CTN 1904)

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase II trial tests whether treosulfan, fludarabine, and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) work when given before a blood or bone marrow transplant (conditioning regimen) to cause fewer complications for patients with bone marrow failure diseases. Chemotherapy drugs, such as treosulfan, 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. Fludarabine may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. rATG is used to decrease the body's immune response and may improve bone marrow function and increase blood cell counts. Adding treosulfan to a conditioning regimen with fludarabine and rATG may result in patients having less severe complications after a blood or bone marrow transplant.
Hematologic, Pediatrics
II
Connelly, James
NCT04965597
VICCPED2192

Testing Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate in Patients with Somatostatin Receptor Positive Advanced Bronchial Neuroendocrine Tumors

Lung

This phase II trial studies the effect of lutetium Lu 177 dotatate compared to the usual treatment (everolimus) in treating patients with somatostatin receptor positive bronchial neuroendocrine tumors that have spread to other places in the body (advanced). Radioactive drugs, such as lutetium Lu 177 dotatate, may carry radiation directly to tumor cells and may reduce harm to normal cells. Lutetium Lu 177 dotatate may be more effective than everolimus in shrinking or stabilizing advanced bronchial neuroendocrine tumors.
Lung
II
Ramirez, Robert
NCT04665739
SWOGTHOA021901

Acalabrutinib for the Treatment of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease

Miscellaneous

This phase II trial studies how well acalabrutinib works in treating patients with chronic graft versus host disease. Acalabrutinib may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by a stem cell transplant.
Miscellaneous
II
Kitko, Carrie
NCT04198922
VICCCTT2122

The Project: EveryChild Protocol: A Registry, Eligibility Screening, Biology and Outcome Study

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous
N/A
Friedman, Debra
COGAPEC14B1