Clinical Research Directory

Self-sampling for Non-attenders to Cervical Cancer Screening

The trial will evaluate whether self-sampling and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing may increase cervical cancer screening attendance among under-screened women in Czech Republic. Different ways of offering self-sampling device will be evaluated.

Effectiveness of a Vaginal Gel on CIN1/2 Regression and HPV Clearance.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a Coriolus versicolor-based vaginal gel promotes regression of CIN1/CIN2 and facilitates HPV clearance in women aged 30-50 years diagnosed with CIN1 or CIN2 and HPV. In addition, the study will assess patient satisfaction, treatment compliance and characterize the vaginal microbiome. The primary outcomes therefore is: * the regression of the cervical dysplasia from baseline to the follow-up (6 months), which will be assessed through either liquid-based cytology and/or histopathology (biopsy). * HPV clearance from baseline to follow-up (6 months) In this randomized controlled study, eligible participants will be randomized 1:1 into two groups: 1. Intervention group: Women (n=35) will apply a CV-based vaginal gel (Papilocare®) daily for 21 days for 3 months. Afterward, the gel should be used every other day for an additional 3 months. Every month includes a 7-day break due to menstruation (28 days cycle). 2. Control group; Women (n=35) will follow the conventional "wait and see" approach.

Role of Liquid Biopsies in HPV-associated Cancer Treatment Monitoring

This trial will evaluate the possible benefits and the performance of liquid biopsies in HPV-associated cancer treatment monitoring. This study aims to find a combination of an adequately sensitive and specific sampling method and biomarkers for early risk stratification of disease recurrence.

The Mother-Daughter Project: Merck-4

This project serves to continue a community-based initiative, known as the Kenya Mother-Daughter Cervical Cancer Eradication Project, or the Mother-Daughter Project (MDP), in the Webuye region of Western Kenya. The MDP project, since its initiation in 2018, has sought to develop a framework for the eradication of cervical cancer through effective screening of adult women and through the vaccination of female children. This project specifically aims to collect additional data on the ability for HR-HPV testing to detect premalignant lesions of the cervix, especially in HIV-infected women, to investigate and identify barriers leading to non-participation in previous MDP efforts, and to examine factors associated with the immune response to HPV vaccination among rural Kenyan girls.

Leveraging Methylated DNA Markers (MDMs) in the Detection of Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, and Cervical Cancer

The overarching objective of this project is to develop a pan-gynecologic cancer detection test using gynecologic (unique endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer) cancer-specific methylated DNA markers and high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) detected in vaginal fluid and/or plasma. This proposal defines Phase II MDM-based cancer detection studies in endometrial cancer (EC) and endometrial hyperplasia with atypia (AEH) in vaginal fluid and 2) ovarian cancer (OC) in plasma and vaginal fluid. Additionally, it defines necessary Phase I MDM-based cancer detection and exploratory aims to test novel cervical cancer (CC) MDMs and test the specificity of cancer-specific MDMs among various common benign gynecologic pathologies.er detection and exploratory aims to test novel cervical cancer MDMs and test the specificity of cancer-specific MDMs among various common benign gynecologic pathologies.

Artesunate Vaginal Inserts for the Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN2/3)

This is a phase II double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of Artesunate vaginal inserts for the treatment of women who have cervical high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3).

Circulating Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA for the Screening and Surveillance of Gynecologic Cancers

Human papilloma virus-related gynecologic malignancies affect over 20,000 women in the United States, and over half a million women globally each year. In addition, approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with high-grade cervical dysplasia, a pre-cancerous tumor. There is no currently available serum biomarker for these tumors, and surveillance and diagnosis in these patients often requires invasive testing and procedures. The ability to diagnose and monitor for these cancers with a simple blood draw would have a significant impact both here in the US and abroad. In order to detect circulating tumor-specific HPV DNA, the investigators will collaborate with the molecular diagnostics company, Naveris. Naveris has designed a blood test that utilizes digital droplet polymerase chain reactions (PCR) in order to quantify fragments of tumor-specific DNA that the investigators believe is shed by HPV-associated cancer cells in the blood. In this pilot study, the investigators will first test whether the quantification of plasma cell-free HPV DNA can distinguish pre-invasive from invasive cervical cancers.

Screening for Anal Cancer in Women With High-grade Vulvar Dysplasia or Vulvar Cancer.

Almost half of all women will develop an HPV infection in their lifetime. While most infections are naturally asymptomatic or cleared by the immune system, some persist and can lead to the development of cervical, vulvar, or anal lesions and eventually cancer. Screening regimens for these lesions are currently only in place for the cervix through regular Pap tests. These Pap tests usually involve an examination of the vulva -however, no screening procedures exist for anal cancer for women. Several studies have suggested that women with existing gynecological lesions are more likely to develop anal lesions and anal cancer. Here the investigators propose a multi-center study which seeks to screen for and treat anal cancer in women over the age of 40 with vulvar lesions and a stable immune system. The investigators will achieve this through performing anal Pap smears on eligible women and conducting High Resolution Anoscopy (HRA) and appropriate treatment procedures on those with abnormal anal cells. With enough evidence, there may be an indication to establish regular anal cancer screening measures in this potentially underserved population. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that at least 40% of women with vulvar cancer or VIN2/3 will have abnormal anal cytology. 35% of the population will be hrHPV DNA positive and 11% will additionally have AIN2/3. This prospective study may lay the groundwork for routine anal screening regimens in Ontario and help shift health policy to treat this population.

Validation of Artificial Intelligence as Decision Support System in VIA (PRESCRIP-TEC)

The research project is a component of another research project that applies the protocol of the World Health Organization for screening of cervical cancer, with testing of high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (hrHPV) as first screening. In the screen, triage and treat approach women who tested positive for hrHPV are undergoing Visual Inspection of the cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA). This procedure is applied in Uganda, India and Bangladesh. However the quality of VIA by lower-trained staff is variable because Low and Middle Income Countries face limited numbers of qualified health care professionals. Artificial intelligence (AI) might be a solution to improve consistency of VIA assessment. This research validates an AI decision support system (AI-DSS) under field conditions.

The Use of the LuViva Advanced Cervical Scan to Identify Women at High-Risk for Cervical Neoplasia

This study is designed to demonstrate that a multimodal hyperspectral device (LuViva) is able to segregate women with abnormal screening tests into Low and High risk groups for the purpose of determining whether they require enhanced colposcopy and additional biopsies in order to increase detection of CIN2+ cervical disease.

Sexual Function and Quality of Life After LEEP: a Prospective Multi-Center Study

The goal of this prospective study is to investigate the sexual function and quality of life of women undergoing loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) due to HPV-related cervical lesion. The main question it aims to answer are: * Whether LEEP affects the sexual function of women in comparison to untreated women, and * Whether LEEP affects the health-related quality of life of women in comparison to untreated women Participants are asked to complete web based an international validated self-report questionnaire on sexual function issues, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and a validated quality of life -questionnaire 15D at the time of first colposcopy appointment and six and 24 months, 3 years and 5 years after index visit (LEEP or first colposcopy in control group). Relevant additional background information is also collected via questionnaire and from patient files. Researchers will compare women with LEEP and those with only colposcopy visits to see any differences between self-reported sexual function (FSFI scores) or health-related quality of life (15D scores) both short and long-term.

Vaginal Microbiome and HPV Pre-malignant and Cervical Dysplasia

In this study, the investigators will prospectively collect, analyze and integrate information regarding vaginal microbiome composition and HPV presence in women with cervical pathologies (high-grade CIN and CC) and controls, to construct a large dataset from patients with pre-cancerous cervical lesions and healthy women, to evaluate the personalized contribution of the vaginal microbiome to the CIN-CC sequence.

Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone (LLETZ) with Vs Without IntraOperative Application of Lugol's Iodine

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Pre-cancerous lesions (dysplasias) are detected by the gynecologist's preventive smear test and can thus contribute to a 100% chance of cure if they are clarified by a colposcopic examination as part of the dysplasia consultation and, if necessary, surgically removed. Conization (= surgical removal of a cone of tissue from the cervix) is the method of choice for removing the diseased tissue. LLETZ conization (Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone) is the worldwide standard surgical procedure for conization. There is risk of local persistence of the precancerous lesion if the cervical dysplasia is not completely removed. To minimize this, the iodine test can be used. Here, a 5% iodine solution (so-called Lugol's solution) is dabbed onto the cervix uteri, resulting in an intense and characteristic brown staining of the healthy cervical epithelium. Sites without staining are termed iodine negative and may contain dysplastic cells. The strength of iodine testing lies in its high specificity, i.e., the reliable ability to exclude false-positive results. The purpose of intraoperative iodine staining is to select the resection line with a high degree of certainty in healthy (i.e., iodine-positive) tissue in order to reduce the rate of cervical dysplasia that is not completely removed (so-called non-in-sano resection, or R1 resection). Systematic survey data from the dysplasia units certified in Germany on the question of the use of intraoperative iodine testing in Germany are lacking, as is the literature as a whole. For example, the current S3 guideline of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics on the diagnosis and treatment of cervical dysplasia (as of March 2020) names intraoperative iodine testing only as a possible option for performing LLETZ. In this prospective, randomized study, the investigators aim to answer the question whether LLETZ performed with the help of an iodine test with selection of the resection line in the iodine-positive area leads to a lower rate of R1 resections compared to the standard LLETZ without iodine test.

Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone During Follicular Vs. Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle (LLETZ-MC)

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Pre-cancerous lesions (dysplasias) are detected by the preventive smear test at the gynecologist and can thus contribute to a 100% chance of cure if they are clarified by a colposcopic examination as part of the dysplasia consultation and dysplastic lesions are then surgically removed if necessary (conization). There are few data in the literature on the influence of the menstrual cycle on the bleeding pattern during and after conization. Hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle affect both the extent of blood flow to reproductive organs and hemostasis. In the follicular phase, there is a decrease in local blood flow in the uterus and pelvic organs and an increase in coagulability. Conversely, in the luteal phase there is an increase in local blood supply and a decrease in coagulability. Therefore, it seems reasonable to perform conization in the follicular phase to possibly reduce the extent and incidence of bleeding and bleeding complications. This assumption is supported by clinical observations. For example, there is evidence from other specialties that selection of the timing of surgery, taking into account the menstrual phase, may influence the risk of bleeding. Another factor of interest in menstruation-based surgical planning is psychological vulnerability, which may also vary with the menstrual cycle. Until now, consideration of the menstrual cycle in surgical planning for conization has not been standard practice and there is no recommendation in this regard in the current S3 guideline of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Therefore, this study now aims to answer the question under prospective randomized conditions whether LLETZ conization performed during the follicular phase results in lower blood loss and higher patient satisfaction and lower anxiety scores compared to LLETZ conization performed during the luteal phase.

Comparison of LLETZ Versus LEEP for the Treatment of Cervical Dysplasia

Cervical dysplasia is the precursor of cervical cancer. LEEP and LLETZ are standard surgical procedures to treat cervical dysplasia. There is no direct head-to-head comparison between LEEP and LLETZ in the literature regarding oncologic safety, for which complete resection of the dysplastic lesion (so-called 'in-sano resection') is the most appropriate postoperative surrogate parameter. Further clinical studies are therefore useful to optimize surgical therapy for cervical dysplasia. The primary objective of the present study is to compare LLETZ (resection of the dysplastic lesion including the transformation zone) with targeted resection of the colposcopically conspicuous lesion only (LEEP) and to compare it with regard to oncological safety (defined as non-in-sano rate).