Clinical Trials Search at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

This phase II trial tests whether adding nivolumab to the usual treatment (encorafenib and cetuximab) works better than the usual treatment alone to shrink tumors in patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic) or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and whose tumor has a mutation in a gene called BRAF. Encorafenib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It is used in patients whose cancer has a certain mutation (change) in the BRAF gene. It works by blocking the action of mutated BRAF that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps to stop or slow the spread of cancer cells. 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. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving nivolumab in combination with encorafenib and cetuximab may be more effective than encorafenib and cetuximab alone at stopping tumor growth and spreading in patients with metastatic or unresectable BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer.

Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 study of INBRX-109 in unresectable or
metastatic conventional chondrosarcoma patients.

This phase II trial studies how well atezolizumab or atezolizumab plus bevacizumab works in treating patients with alveolar soft part sarcoma that has not been treated, has spread from where it started to other places in the body (advanced) and cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Atezolizumab works by unblocking the immune system, allowing the immune system cells to recognize and then attack tumor cells. Bevacizumab works by controlling the growth of new blood vessels. Giving atezolizumab alone or atezolizumab with bevacizumab may shrink the cancer.

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.

This phase II trial studies the effect of hormonal therapy given after (adjuvant) combination pertuzumab/trastuzumab in treating patients with hormone receptor positive, HER2 positive breast cancer. The drugs trastuzumab and pertuzumab are both monoclonal antibodies, which are disease-fighting proteins made by cloned immune cells. Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormonal therapy, such as letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, and tamoxifen, block the use of estrogen by the tumor cells. Giving hormonal therapy after pertuzumab and trastuzumab may kill any remaining tumor cells in patients with breast cancer.

This phase II trial compares the effect of usual treatment approach alone (FOLFOX or CAPOX after chemoradiation) with using FOLFIRINOX after chemoradiation in patients with stage II-III rectal cancer. Combination chemotherapy regiments, such as FOLFIRINOX [folinic acid (leucovorin), fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin], FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin), or CAPOX (capecitabin and oxaliplatin) use more than one anticancer drug that 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. FOLFOX or CAPOX are used after chemoradiation as usual treatment for rectal cancer. Giving FOLFIRINOX after chemoradiation may increase the response rate for the primary rectal tumor and lead to higher rates of clinical complete response (and thus a chance to avoid surgery) compared to FOLFOX or CAPOX after chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

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.

This phase II trial compares the effect of usual treatment of docetaxel chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, to ado-emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive salivary gland cancer that has come back (recurrent), that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body, or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Trastuzumab is a form of targeted therapy because it works by attaching itself to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors. When trastuzumab attaches to HER2 receptors, the signals that tell the cells to grow are blocked and the cancer cell may be marked for destruction by body's immune system. Trastuzumab emtansine contains trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug called emtansine. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers emtansine to kill them. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Trastuzumab emtansine may work better compared to usual treatment of chemotherapy with docetaxel and trastuzumab in treating patients with recurrent, metastatic or unresectable salivary gland cancer.

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.

This phase II trial studies whether adding pembrolizumab to olaparib (standard of care) works better than olaparib alone in treating patients with pancreatic cancer with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of each cells genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to some types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. 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. Olaparib is an inhibitor of PARP, a protein that helps repair damaged DNA. Blocking PARP may help keep tumor cells from repairing their damaged DNA, causing them to die. PARP inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy. The addition of pembrolizumab to the usual treatment of olaparib may help to shrink tumors in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.