Clinical Trials Search at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

This phase II/III trial aims to determine the type of chemotherapy that will benefit patients who have had surgery for their stage II or III colon cancer based on presence or absence of circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA). In ctDNA positive patients, this trial compares the effect of usual chemotherapy versus mFOLFIRINOX. In ctDNA negative patients, this trial compares the effect of usual chemotherapy versus ctDNA testing every 3 months to determine which approach might be better to prevent colon cancer from returning. Oxaliplatin is in a class of medications called platinum-containing antineoplastic agents. It works by damaging cells DNA and may kill cancer cells. Leucovorin is in a class of medications called folic acid analogs. It works by protecting healthy cells from the effects of chemotherapy medications while allowing chemotherapy agent to enter and kill cancer cells. Fluorouracil is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It stops cells from making DNA and may slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. Capecitabine is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It Is taken up by cancer cells and breaks down to a substance that kills cancer cells. Irinotecan is in a class of antineoplastic medications called topoisomerase I inhibitors. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells. This trial may help doctors determine what kind of chemotherapy to recommend to colon cancer patients based on the presence or absence of ctDNA after surgery for colon 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 tests whether using genetic testing of tumor tissue to select the optimal treatment regimen works in treating patients with clear cell renal cell (kidney) cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced or metastatic). The current Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved regimens for advanced kidney cancer fall into two categories. One treatment combination includes two immunotherapy drugs (nivolumab plus ipilimumab), which are delivered by separate intravenous infusions into a vein. The other combination is one immunotherapy drug (nivolumab infusion) plus an oral pill taken by mouth (cabozantinib). Nivolumab and ipilimumab are immunotherapies which release the brakes of the immune system, thus allowing the patient's own immune system to better kill cancer cells. Cabozantinib is a targeted therapy specifically designed to block certain biological mechanisms needed for growth of cancer cells. In kidney cancer, cabozantinib blocks a tumors blood supply. The genetic (DNA) makeup of the tumor may affect how well it responds to therapy. Testing the makeup (genes) of the tumor, may help match a treatment (from one of the above two treatment options) to the specific cancer and increase the chance that the disease will respond to treatment. The purpose of this study is to learn if genetic testing of tumor tissue may help doctors select the optimal treatment regimen to which advanced kidney cancer is more likely to respond.

This phase II trial compares the effect of capecitabine to endocrine therapy in patients with non-Luminal A hormone receptor-positive breast cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). In this study, patients submit a sample of tumor for testing to determine if their breast cancer is considered non-Luminal A. Only patients with non-Luminal A receive study treatment. In the future, doctors hope that this test can assist in picking the best treatment for patients with this type of cancer. Capecitabine is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It is taken up by tumor cells and breaks down into fluorouracil, a substance that kills tumor cells. Endocrine therapy is treatment that adds, blocks, or removes hormones. To slow or stop the growth of certain cancers (such as prostate and breast cancer), synthetic hormones or other drugs may be given to block the body's natural hormones. Giving capecitabine as compared to endocrine therapy may kill more tumor cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer.