Clinical Research Directory

Measuring the Effects of Talazoparib in Patients With Advanced Cancer and DNA Repair Variations

This phase II trial studies if talazoparib works in patients with cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and has mutation(s) in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage response genes who have or have not already been treated with another PARP inhibitor. Talazoparib is an inhibitor of PARP, a protein that helps repair damaged DNA. Blocking PARP may help keep cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA, causing them to die. PARP inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy. All patients who take part on this study must have a gene aberration that changes how their tumors are able to repair DNA. This trial may help scientists learn whether some patients might benefit from taking different PARP inhibitors "one after the other" and learn how talazoparib works in treating patients with advanced cancer who have aberration in DNA repair genes.

Testing the Combination of Two Anti-cancer Drugs, DS-8201a and AZD6738, for The Treatment of Advanced Solid Tumors Expressing the HER2 Protein or Gene, The DASH Trial

The dose escalation phase of this trial identifies the safety, side effects and best dose of ceralasertib (AZD6738) when given in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) in treating patients with solid tumors that have a change (mutation) in the HER2 gene or protein and have spread to other places in the body (advanced). The dose expansion phase (phase Ib) of this trial compares how colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers with HER2 mutation respond to treatment with a combination of ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan versus trastuzumab deruxtecan alone. Ceralasertib may stop the growth of tumor cells and may kill them by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan may be safe, tolerable and effective in treating patients with advanced solid tumors expressing the HER2 protein or gene.

Testing the Combination of the Anticancer Drugs Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (DS-8201a) and Azenosertib (ZN-c3) in Patients With Stomach or Other Solid Tumors

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of azenosertib in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan in treating patients with HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer and other HER2-positive solid tumors that have spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced), that have spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic), or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Azenosertib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It inhibits a protein called Wee1. Inhibition of the Wee1 protein can make tumor cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs, leading to tumor cell death. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is in a class of medications called antibody-drug conjugates. It is composed of a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Giving azenosertib in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan may be safe, tolerable, and/or more effective in treating patients with locally advanced, metastatic, or unresectable HER2-positive gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or other solid tumors, compared to just trastuzumab deruxtecan alone.

Berzosertib and Irinotecan in Treating Patients With Progressive, Metastatic, or Unresectable TP53 Mutant Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

This phase II trial studies the how well berzosertib and irinotecan work in treating patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that is growing, spreading or getting worse (progressive), has spread to other places in the body (metastatic), or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Berzosertib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for growth. Chemotherapy drugs, such as irinotecan, 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. Giving berzosertib and irinotecan may work better than irinotecan alone in treating patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer.

Adding Nivolumab to Usual Treatment for People With Advanced Stomach or Esophageal Cancer, PARAMUNE Trial

This phase II/III trial compares the addition of nivolumab to the usual treatment of paclitaxel and ramucirumab to paclitaxel and ramucirumab alone in treating patients with gastric or esophageal adenocarcinoma that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced). A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). 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. Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Adding nivolumab to ramucirumab and paclitaxel may work better to treat patients with advanced stomach or esophageal cancer.

Testing the Addition of an Anti-cancer Drug, BAY 1895344, to the Usual Chemotherapy Treatment (Cisplatin, or Cisplatin and Gemcitabine) for Advanced Solid Tumors With Emphasis on Urothelial Cancer

This phase I trial identifies the best dose, possible benefits and/or side effects of BAY 1895344 in combination with chemotherapy in treating patients with solid tumors or urothelial cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). BAY 1895344 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Cisplatin and gemcitabine are chemotherapy drugs that stop the growth of tumor cells by killing the cells. Combining BAY 1895344 with chemotherapy treatment (cisplatin, or cisplatin and gemcitabine) may be effective for the treatment of advanced solid tumors, including urothelial cancer.

A Prospective Study of Physical Function in Adults Who Receive Systemic Therapy for Stage I-III Gastroesophageal Cancer, FAST-GO Study

This study evaluates how the treatment for gastroesophageal cancer affects physical function in patients who receive chemotherapy as part of their treatment for gastroesophageal cancer.

mFOLFIRINOX Versus mFOLFOX With or Without Nivolumab for the Treatment of Advanced, Unresectable, or Metastatic HER2 Negative Esophageal, Gastroesophageal Junction, and Gastric Adenocarcinoma

This phase III trial compares the effect of modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (mFOLFIRINOX) to modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX) for the treatment of advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2 negative esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma. The usual approach for patients is treatment with FOLFOX chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs 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. Fluorouracil stops cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Leucovorin is used with fluorouracil to enhance the effects of the drug. Oxaliplatin works by killing, stopping, or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Some patients also receive an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, in addition to FOLFOX chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Irinotecan blocks certain enzymes needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill tumor cells. Adding irinotecan to the FOLFOX regimen could shrink the cancer and extend the life of patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancers.

Sonidegib and Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

This phase I trial studies the best dose of sonidegib when given together with pembrolizumab and to see how well they work in treating patients with solid tumor that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Sonidegib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. 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 sonidegib and pembrolizumab may work better than standard treatment in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.

Personalized Neoantigen Peptide-Based Vaccine in Combination With Pembrolizumab for Treatment of Advanced Solid Tumors

This phase I/II trial tests the safety and tolerability of an experimental personalized vaccine when given by itself and with pembrolizumab in treating patients with solid tumor cancers that have spread to other places in the body (advanced). The experimental vaccine is designed target certain proteins (neoantigens) on individuals' tumor 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 the personalized neoantigen peptide-based vaccine with pembrolizumab may be safe and effective in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.

Individually Tailored, Supervised, Remote Exercise Intervention to Improve Physical Function for Stage I-III Gastroesophageal Cancer Survivors, PRECISE Trial

This clinical trial tests an individually tailored, supervised, remote exercise intervention to improve physical function for stage I-III gastroesophageal cancer survivors. Modern treatments for gastroesophageal cancer are effective at treating the cancer but are often aggressive, can be difficult for patients to tolerate, and can lead to significant debilitation and a loss of independence. Exercise is one promising intervention that could improve physical function in patients with gastroesophageal cancer after finishing systemic treatment. Home based exercise interventions in patients with cancer during and after chemotherapy can improve fatigue and function. An individually tailored, supervised, remote exercise intervention may improve physical function for stage I-III gastroesophageal cancer survivors.

Early Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Improving Quality of Life in Participants With Stage 0-IIIC Gastric Cancer Undergoing Surgery

This phase II trial studies how well an early recovery after surgery protocol works in enhancing quality of life in participants with stage 0-IIIC gastric cancer undergoing surgery. The early recovery after surgery protocol may decrease pain and nausea, promote bowl function, decrease the number of days hospitalized, and improve a participant's ability to function normally after surgery.

Short-Course Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Resectable Gastric Adenocarcinoma

This phase Ib trial investigates the side effects and how well a shorter course of chemotherapy and radiation treatment (chemoradiotherapy) for 2 weeks instead of 5 weeks followed by standard chemotherapy works in treating patients with gastric cancer who are scheduled to have treatment and then surgery to remove the tumor. Chemotherapy drugs, such as capecitabine and fluorouracil, 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 sources to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving short-course chemo-radiotherapy before chemotherapy and surgery may help to control the disease.

Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib for the Treatment of Advanced, Unresectable, or Metastatic Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma

This early phase I trial studies the effect of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in treating patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma that has spread to other places in the body (advanced/metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). 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. Lenvatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving pembrolizumab and lenvatinib may kill more tumor cells.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy With Cisplatin and Paclitaxel for the Treatment of Patients With Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma at High Risk of Peritoneal Recurrence

This phase II trial tests how well concentrating heated (hyperthermic) chemotherapy in the area that contains the abdominal organs (intraperitoneal \[IP\]) at the time of surgery works in treating patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma at high risk of the cancer coming back to the abdominal cavity (peritoneal) after a period of improvement (recurrence). Recurrence in the peritoneum often occurs within the first 18 months after surgery. This is thought to be due to tumor cells that may scatter and spread during surgery. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Paclitaxel alone and in combination with other chemotherapy agents have been shown to be effective treatments for gastric tumors. However, systemic delivery of these drugs has not been shown to be effective in treating peritoneal metastasis. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a procedure that involves the infusion of a heated chemotherapy solution, such as cisplatin and paclitaxel, that circulates into the abdominal cavity. Giving HIPEC with cisplatin and paclitaxel at the time of surgery may reduce peritoneal recurrence in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma at high risk.

Feasibility of Auricular Acupressure for Appetite and Weight in Patients With Stage II-IV Gastric, Esophageal, and Pancreatic Cancer

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupressure to the ear (auricular) to address appetite and weight in patients with stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer. Cancer anorexia, the abnormal loss of appetite, directly leads to cancer-associated weight loss (cachexia) through malnourishment, reduced caloric intake, treatment side-effects, and other modifiable risk factors. Cachexia prolongs length of hospital stay for patients, negatively impacts treatment tolerance and adherence, and reduces overall patient quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a form of micro-acupuncture that exerts its effect by stimulating the central nervous system using adhesive taped pellets applied to specific locations on the external ear. The use of these pellets to deliver auricular acupressure has been shown to improve pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and quality of life in both cancer and non-cancer settings. Auricular acupressure is a safe, inexpensive, and non-invasive approach to addressing cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects and may be effective at improving appetite and weight loss in stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer patients.

Testing Immunotherapy (Atezolizumab) With or Without Chemotherapy in Locoregional MSI-H/dMMR Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Cancer

This phase II trial compares atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy (docetaxel, oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, fluorouracil, capecitabine) to atezolizumab alone for controlling the growth and/or spreading of the disease in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction (JEG) cancer that has not spread from where it first started (local) or only has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue (locoregional) and has high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). The mismatch repair (MMR) system in the body corrects errors made during the copying of DNA and serves as a proofreading function. If this system isn't working correctly, mutations (changes) in DNA occur which can allow the cancer to grow or spread. This is called dMMR (deficient mismatch repair) . MSI-H describes cancer cells that have a high number of mutations within microsatellites. For example, microsatellite testing that shows mutations in 30% or more microsatellites is called microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). Microsatellites are short, repeated sequences of DNA. There is evidence that MSI-H/ dMMR gastric or GEJ tumors respond well to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Oxaliplatin is in a class of medications called platinum-containing antineoplastic agents. It damages the cell's DNA and may kill tumor cells. 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. Chemotherapy drugs such as leucovorin calcium and fluorouracil 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. Using atezolizumab as immunotherapy with and following chemotherapy versus atezolizumab alone prior to and after surgery may shrink or stabilize the tumor in patients with MSI-H/dMMR localized gastric or GEJ cancer and may increase the length of time after treatment that cancer does not come back or get worse.

A Vaccine (Ad5.F35-hGCC-PADRE) for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Adenocarcinoma

This phase IIA trial investigates the side effects of Ad5.F35-hGCC-PADRE vaccine and to see how well it works in treating patients with gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. Ad5.F35-hGCC-PADRE vaccine may help to train the patient's own immune system to identify and kill tumor cells and prevent it from coming back.

Testing the Addition of an Anticancer Drug, BAY 1895344, to the Usual Chemotherapy With FOLFIRI in Advanced or Metastatic Cancers of the Stomach and Intestines

This phase I trial investigates the best dose, possible benefits and/or side effects of BAY 1895344 in combination with FOLFIRI in treating patients with stomach or intestinal cancer that that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) or has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). BAY 1895344 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Chemotherapy drugs, such as irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, (called FOLFIRI in short) 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. Giving BAY 1895344 in combination with FOLFIRI may help shrink advanced or metastatic stomach and/or intestinal cancer.

Ramucirumab and Trifluridine/Tipiracil or Paclitaxel for the Treatment of Patients With Previously Treated Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

This phase II trial studies the effect of the combination of ramucirumab and trifluridine/tipiracil or paclitaxel in treating patients with previously treated gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Ramucirumab may damage tumor cells by targeting new blood vessel formation. Trifluridine/tipiracil is a chemotherapy pill and that may damage tumor cells by damaging their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Paclitaxel may block cell growth by stopping cell division which may kill tumor cells. Giving ramucirumab and trifluridine/tipiracil will not be worse than ramucirumab and paclitaxel in treating gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.