Clinical Research Directory

Study of Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Growth and Cyst Development in Patients With Von Hippel Lindau Disease

The purpose of this study is to learn more about the growth of brain and spinal cord tumors and cysts that develop in association with them in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. It will examine how fast the tumors grow and try to determine what factors (for example, puberty , pregnancy, menopause, blood proteins, etc.) affect their growth. Patients between the ages of 8 and 75 years who are enrolled in NIH s study of von Hippel-Lindau disease may be eligible for this 5-year study. Participants will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord and a thorough neurological history and examination at the start of the study. A blood sample will be taken for analysis of factors (hormones or other proteins) that may predict tumor growth. Follow-up clinic visits every 6 months will include a physical and neurological examination, blood tests, and MRI scans of the brain and spine. If symptoms or tumor growth requires more frequent follow-up, scans will be done at 3-month intervals. Surgical removal of brain and spinal cord tumors is currently the treatment of choice when these lesions cause neurological problems. A better understanding of which tumors are likely to grow and which will remain stable may help guide physicians in treatment decisions and avoid unnecessary procedures.

Observational Study for Assessing Treatment and Outcome of Patients With Primary Brain Tumours Using cIMPACT-NOW and 2021 WHO Classification

Every new classification depends on its prognostic power and on the type of treatment given. With the rapid evolution of diagnostic methods and the advance in new treatments, there is much less reliable information available on how patients with newly defined brain tumour entities should be treated and what to expect from the current treatments. The goal is to determine whether the new 2021 WHO classification, based on cIMPACT-NOW recommendations, results in more homogeneous patient groups than the old 2016 classification. Furthermore, it will help derive provisional guidelines on how patients with these newly defined tumour entities are best treated. These recommendations will be based on the experience of EORTC investigators with chosen treatments and their experience as reported in this data collection report.

68-Ga DOTATATE PET/MRI in the Diagnosis and Management of Somatostatin Receptor Positive CNS Tumors.

The study population consists of patients who undergo resection for somatostatin receptor-positive (SSTR-positive) CNS tumors, focusing on meningioma, and including esthesioneuroblastoma, hemangioblastoma, medulloblastoma, paraganglioma, pituitary adenoma, and SSTR-positive systemic cancers metastatic to the brain, such as small cell carcinoma of the lung. The study indication is to determine the diagnostic utility of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/MRI in the diagnosis and management of patients with SSTR-positive CNS tumors, specifically whether 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/MRI demonstrates utility distinguishing between tumor recurrence and post-treatment change. To date, the utility of Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI in meningioma has not been explored. Investigators have over the past 3 months been able to accrue the largest case series of presently 12 patients in whom Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI demonstrated utility in the assessment of meningioma, including assessment for postsurgical/postradiation recurrence, detection of additional lesions not visualized on MRI alone, and evaluation of osseous invasion. Based on this initial experience, investigators intend to study the impact of Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/MRI in the assessment of the extent of residual tumor in patients status post meningioma resection, specifically in patients in whom tumor location limits resectability, patients with World Health Organization (WHO) grade II/III disease, and patients with history of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) who develop postradiation change.

Agnostic Therapy in Rare Solid Tumors

The ANTARES study is a phase II basket trial designed to evaluate the tissue-agnostic efficacy of the monoclonal anti-PD1 antibody, nivolumab, in patients with advanced or metastatic rare tumors. The study aims to treat rare malignancies with PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 10), regardless of the tumor's tissue type or location. Patients who have not responded to standard treatments will be included, and treatment will last for up to 12 months. The study will assess objective response, progression-free survival, and biomarkers such as PD-L1, ctDNA, and microvesicles, in a multicenter collaborative effort to provide innovative therapeutic options for this underrepresented population