Clinical Research Directory

The MOMENTUM Study: The Multiple Outcome Evaluation of Radiation Therapy Using the MR-Linac Study

The Multi-OutcoMe EvaluatioN of radiation Therapy Using the Unity MR-Linac Study (MOMENTUM) is a multi-institutional, international registry facilitating evidenced based implementation of the Unity MR-Linac technology and further technical development of the MR-Linac system with the ultimate purpose to improve patients' survival, local, and regional tumor control and quality of life.

TRAIL-R2 and HER2 Bi-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer

The purpose of this study is to find the biggest dose of HTR2 T cells that is safe, to see how long these cells last in the body, to learn the side effects, and to see if these cells are able to fight and kill HER2 expressing breast cancer. Patients eligible for this study have metastatic breast cancer that has HER2 expression and has progressed on at least one line of therapy. This is a gene transfer research study using special immune cells called T cells. T cells are a type of white blood cell that helps the body recognize and fight cancer cells. The body has different ways of fighting diseases and no single way seems perfect for fighting cancer. This research combines two different ways of fighting cancer: antibodies and T cells. Antibodies are proteins that protect the body from infectious disease and possibly cancer. T cells, or T lymphocytes, are special blood cells that can kill other cells, including tumor cells. Both antibodies and T cells have shown promise treating cancer but have not been strong enough to cure most patients. Previous research has found that investigators can put genes into T cells that helps them recognize cancer cells and kill them. Investigators now want to see if by putting a new gene in those T cells to help recognize breast cancer cells expressing HER2 can kill the cancer cells. In clinical trials for various cancer types that express HER2, our center engineered a CAR that recognizes HER2 and put this CAR into patients own T cells and gave them back. Investigators saw that the cells did grow and patients did tolerate and respond to the treatment. Investigators will add a gene to the HER2 recognizing CAR T cells that will improve the T cells function. Investigators know that some immune cells in the body can lower T cells ability to kill cancer cells. Investigators have identified an antibody that will inactivate those immune suppressive cells thereby allowing T cells to survive better to recognize and kill cancer cells. This antibody targets the Trail-R2 receptor and is referred to as TR2. Also, investigators know that T cells need the support of cytokines to perform their immune functions. There is evidence showing that the addition of interleukin 15 (IL15) enhances CAR T cells ability to kill cancer cells. As a result, investigators also added IL15 to the HER2 and TR2 targeting CAR T cells (HTR2 T cells). The HTR2 T cells are an investigational product not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

3D Ultrasound Breast Imaging

The purpose of this research is to study the efficacy of a new ultrasound imaging method for diagnosis of breast mass.

Phase II Protocol of Proton Therapy for Partial Breast Irradiation in Early Stage Breast Cancer

The purpose of this research study is to compare the effects (good and bad) on women and their cancer using proton radiation therapy. This study is being done to see if proton radiation therapy will prove to be beneficial for women with early stage breast cancer. A clinical study is necessary to compare the results (good or bad) of proton radiation therapy.

Proton Radiation for Stage II/III Breast Cancer

The purpose of this study is to look at the rates of acute and long term adverse events of postoperative proton radiotherapy for complex loco-regional irradiation in women with loco-regionally advanced breast cancer. This study specifically includes longitudinal follow up to assess the incidence of cardiac mortality and second malignant neoplasms at 10 and 15 years following proton therapy(PT).

Metastatic Breast Cancer in Austria

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In Austria, this diagnosis is made more than 5000 times a year (STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Austrian Cancer Registry, as of 24.09.2012). Of these, already 5% to 10% have distant metastases at the time of initial diagnosis, and up to 30% of the node-negative tumours and up to 70% of the node-positive tumours metastasise at a later date. Metastatic breast cancer has not been systematically assessed in Austria to date. This medical registry of the AGMT is thus the first Austrian-wide standardised documentation of this disease. The aim of the registry is to answer both epidemiological and therapy-specific questions. This registry is a prospective and retrospective, multicentre collection of data on patients with metastatic breast cancer in Austria. All tumour characteristics, medical histories and also treatment sequences are documented in anonymised form.

Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, and Bicalutamide in Human Epidermal Growth Factor (HER) 2 Negative Breast Cancer Patients

The goal of this protocol is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an alternative systemic combination approach that omits or delays the use of chemotherapy in metastatic disease, while improving efficacy and durability of response. The approach combines two potentially effective and previously studied strategies: androgen receptor blockade and immune checkpoint therapy.

A Study of BRIA-OTS Cellular Immunotherapy in Metastatic Recurrent Breast Cancer

This is an open-label Phase 1/2a study. Once the safety of the BC1 cell line alone has been demonstrated in Phase 1, in Phase 2, patients will be treated with the Bria-OTS regimen (see below) and a clinically available check point inhibitor (CPI). During the monotherapy phase of Phase 1, one patient will be treated intradermally every 2 weeks for 6 weeks (4 doses) with an initial dose of the BC1 cell line. If this dose is tolerated, the next patient will receive an increased dose of BC1. If once again tolerated, the third patient will receive a further dose increase of the BC1. Once at least 3 patients have been safely treated with the BC1 cell line, with no dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), the combinational phase of the study will commence. Following the monotherapy phase, patients will be treated with BC1 and the Bria-OTS regimen (see below) every 3 weeks, plus a CPI at the FDA approved labelled dose and schedule. There will be at least a 2-week spacing between enrollment of each of the first three subjects in the study in order to assess for any early unanticipated risk(s). During the Phase 1 combination and Phase 2 expansion phases, all patients will be treated with BC1 cells as part of the Bria-OTS regimen, which includes cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 2-3 days prior to BC1 cell inoculation, and peginterferon alpha-2a administered on the same day, following BC1 cell inoculation.