Clinical Trials Search at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

This trial tests the use of a disposable perfusion phantom (P4) to decrease errors in calculating the blood flow of a tissue with DCE-MRI. DCE-MRI is used calculate blood flow of various tissues including tumors. Blood flow often serves as a critical indicator showing a disease status. For example, a pancreatic tumor has typically low blood flow, so it can be used as an indicator to identify the presence of a pancreatic tumor. In addition, an effective therapy may result in the increase of blood flow in a pancreatic tumor during the early period of treatment. Therefore, DCE-MRI may be used to determine whether the undergoing therapy is effective or not by measuring the change of blood flow in the pancreatic tumor and may help doctors decide whether to continue the therapy or try a different one. Unfortunately, the measurement of blood flow using DCE-MRI is not accurate. The use of an artificial tissue, named "phantom" or P4, together with a patient may help to reduce errors in DCE-MRI because errors will affect the images of both the patient and the phantom. Because it is known how the blood flow of the phantom appears when no errors are present, the phantom may be used to detect what kinds of errors are present in the image, how many errors are present in the image, and how to remove errors from the image.

This trial collects data on response to low-dose skin electron therapy in patients with stage IB-IIIA mycosis fungoides that does not respond to treatment (refractory) or has come back (relapsed). Collecting data on patient's response to therapy, both in terms of changes in the skin and in terms of quality of life following treatment, may help doctors better predict response to therapy.

This study measures the impact of patient-specific 3D specimen maps on adjuvant radiation treatment volumes and doses to critical organs.

This clinical trial evaluates different nerve patterns to the throat muscles (stylopharyngeus and pharyngeal constrictor) and what they look like in different patients by measuring and photographing them in the neck during surgery when the nerves are dissected (separated into pieces) as part of regular surgical care. Researchers think that some of the muscles in the neck might be useful for treating a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This happens when muscles of the throat relax at night and the airway becomes blocked. Blockage of airflow leads to drops in oxygen levels and can disturb sleep by forcing a persons brain to wake to restore airway muscles so they can breathe. This trial may help researchers provide a new way to treat OSA that may be better than the current standard ones.

This clinical trial evaluates the clinical effectiveness of a multi-level telehealth-based intervention for cancer patients in rural communities. Rural residents face limited accessibility to cancer treatment and supportive care services, transportation barriers, and financial issues. Cancer Thriving and Surviving is an evidence-based self-management intervention with demonstrated efficacy across numerous chronic health conditions with dissemination across the US, inclusive of rural communities. This trial evaluates whether the evidence-based Cancer Thriving and Surviving intervention delivered through telehealth among rural patients may improve patient outcomes.

This trial studies the impact of indwelling tunneled pleural drainage systems (gravity or vacuum based) on pain in patients with plural effusion that has come back (recurrent). Vacuum drainage and gravity drainage are two commonly used drainage methods. Studying the best drainage methods may help future patients undergoing indwelling tunneled pleural catheter placement.

This clinical trial studies the effect of the ERAS pain management method in managing pain after surgery in patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS, is a pain management method that places emphasis on managing risk factors (things like smoking, nutrition and fitness), using multiple types of pain control, and early movement, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. ERAS has been shown to reduce the length of time some patients stay in the hospital, reduce complications from surgery, and even lower costs of some surgeries. ERAS is designed may help cut down on the use of these narcotics in managing the pain of surgery patients. The purpose of this trial is to demonstrate that ERAS is safe and effective for patients having surgery to treat their sarcoma. Specifically, this study will look at using a non-narcotic pain management program that includes other methods of managing the pain of sarcoma surgery patients.

This trial studies whether the blood marker micro ribonucleic acid (miRNA) 371 can predict the chance of cancer returning in patients with germ cell cancers. Studying samples of blood from patients with germ cell cancers in the laboratory may help doctors predict how likely the cancer will come back.

This trial uses fluid measurements of the arm and MRI to determine biomarkers of lymphatic dysfunction in patients with breast cancer. Studying the lymphatic system (the part of your body that helps to process and clear waste products) in different ways will help doctors understand more about lymphedema (excess fluid after lymph nodes are removed) and help with prevention and management of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer.

This clinical trial studies how well two surgical procedures (bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) work in reducing the risk of ovarian cancer for individuals with BRCA1 mutations. Bilateral salpingectomy involves the surgical removal of fallopian tubes, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy involves the surgical removal of both the fallopian tubes and ovaries. This study may help doctors determine if the two surgical procedures are nearly the same for ovarian cancer risk reduction for women with BRCA1 mutations.