Clinical Research Directory

Testing Nivolumab With or Without Ipilimumab in Deficient Mismatch Repair System (dMMR) Recurrent Endometrial Carcinoma

This phase II trial tests whether the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab is better than nivolumab alone to shrink tumors in patients with deficient mismatch repair system (dMMR) endometrial carcinoma that has come back after a period of time during which the cancer could not be detected (recurrent). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mismatch repair (MMR) is a system for recognizing and repairing damaged DNA. In 2-3% of endometrial cancers this may be due to a hereditary condition resulted from gene mutation called Lynch Syndrome (previously called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or HNPCC). MMR deficient cells usually have many DNA mutations. Tumors that have evidence of mismatch repair deficiency tend to be more sensitive to immunotherapy. There is some evidence that nivolumab with ipilimumab can shrink or stabilize cancers with deficient mismatch repair system. However, it is not known whether this will happen in endometrial cancer; therefore, this study is designed to answer that question. Monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab may be better than nivolumab alone in treating dMMR recurrent endometrial carcinoma.

Determine the Utility of Liquid Biopsies and Tumor Molecular Profiling in Predicting Recurrence in Endometrial Cancers

This study is to find out how well liquid biopsies work as a non-invasive alternative to other methods of finding cancer cells (such as a tissue biopsy) in patients with endometrial cancer. A liquid biopsy is a blood test that may be able to find cancer cells. Collecting and storing samples of blood and tissue from patients with endometrial cancer to study in the laboratory may help doctors learn how the cells in the blood may change during treatment for uterine cancer.