Clinical Research Directory

Randomized, Open Label, Clinical Study of the Targeted Therapy, Palbociclib, to Treat Metastatic Breast Cancer

The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate that the combination of palbociclib with anti-HER2 therapy plus endocrine therapy is superior to anti-HER2-based therapy plus endocrine therapy alone in improving the outcomes of subjects with hormone receptor-positive, HER2+ metastatic breast cancer.

REVIVE: Replens Versus Intra-Vaginal Estrogen for the Treatment of Vaginal Dryness on Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy

This study is investigating whether breast cancer patients who experience vaginal dryness while on anti-estrogen treatment could benefit from either vaginal estrogen or from a vaginal moisturizer called Replens.

Fulvestrant +/- Akt Inhibition in Advanced Aromatase Inhibitor Resistant Breast Cancer

This is a two stage study, with an initial dose escalation phase I study and subsequent double blind randomised phase II controlled trial. Eligible patients are post-menopausal women with metastatic ER+ breast cancer not suitable for surgical resection. Patients should be suitable for endocrine treatment, but have received no more than 3 previous lines of endocrine treatment and up to 1 line of chemotherapy for metastatic disease. They will also have had progressive disease during treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. Following the dose-escalation in stage 1, patients will be randomised to receive fulvestrant plus either placebo or 480mg (or maximum tolerated dose) of AZD5363 oral capsules or tablets taken once daily. Patients will receive fulvestrant in combination with either placebo or AZD5363 until disease progression. Patients may continue to receive fulvestrant and AZD5363/placebo treatment even after the last trial visit.

FDG PET/CT in Breast Cancer Bone Mets

This study will evaluate baseline uptake on a FDG PET/CT scan in patients with breast cancer that has spread to the bones. A repeat FDG PET/CT scan will be done 4 weeks after the start of new breast cancer hormone treatment and again at 12 weeks after treatment start. The baseline uptake and change in uptake after the repeat scans will be compared to clinical long term outcomes such as time to progression and overall survival. In addition the uptake will be compared to the incidence of skeletal related events that are common occurrences in patients with cancer that has spread to the bones.

Evaluation of a Novel Technique for the Discovery of New, Tumor-specific Targets for the Deployment of Innovative Immunotherapeutics Against Cancer.

The goal of this interventional, prospective research on human bodily material is to discover new, cancer-specific molecular structures (i.e. glycopeptides) within surgically removed, estrogen receptor positive breast cancer tumors. The main goal it aims to achieve is: To discover tumor-specific targets, that allow the use of very potent immunotherapeutic drugs as treatment for solid tumors, such as estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. These new targets are very specific for cancer cells, meaning that virtually no healthy cells should be attacked by the treatment, resulting in less side effects. Participants will undergo standard of care treatment, comprising surgical removal of the breast tumor. Part of these tissues will be used for this clinical research.

A Study to See Whether Estrogen Can Slow the Growth of Some ER Positive Breast Cancers

Some breast cancers have estrogen receptors (ER+). The investigators know that some ER+ tumours can be cured by hormone therapy alone while other ER+ breast cancers cannot. Currently, there is no perfect way to tell these groups apart nor do the investigators know why some respond when others do not. Research findings suggest that the two types of ER+ breast cancers differ in their response to estrogen with estrogen being toxic to one type and not the other. For those tumours that find estrogen toxic, this may explain why tumours only start to grow when estrogen levels decrease after menopause. The purpose of this study is to see whether a two-week treatment of estrogen equal to pre-menopausal estrogen levels will decrease the rate at which patients' ER+ tumours grow. This will be done by comparing the growth rate in the tissue removed during standard of care surgery after patients have been treated with 7-14 days of estrogen prior to that surgery.

Early Changes in Metabolic Health in Breast Cancer Patients Initiating Endocrine Therapy

This clinical trial aims to investigate early metabolic health changes in early breast cancer patients that initiate antihormone therapy. Furthermore, how these changes are affected by estrogen level, treatment type, and patient characteristics. The hypothesis is, that initiation of antihormone therapy for early breast cancer patients is associated with an early deterioration in metabolic health after 3 months. This includes increased BMI (Body Mass Index), waist- and hip circumference, blood pressure, blood sugars, and lipids compared to when the patients initiate antihormone therapy. Concurrently, estradiol levels are expected to decrease. An estimated 112 patients initiating antihormone therapy at the Dept. of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital (AUH) will be included in the study over 6 months from autumn 2024. Patients will have a metabolic screening on the day of initiating antihormone therapy and at 3-month antihormone treatment follow-up. The two metabolic screenings each consists of biometric measurements and a blood sample.