Clinical Research Directory

A Novel Tobacco Cessation Resource for Smokers With a Diagnosed or Suspected Thoracic Cancer

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility of a novel tobacco cessation resource called a Buckeye Quit Stick among smokers with a diagnosed or suspected thoracic cancer. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. While the benefits of quitting smoking are numerous, rates of persistent smoking after cancer diagnosis remain high. Research has found that patients who quit smoking but subsequently relapse frequently report the hand/oral habit as a barrier to sustained smoking cessation. The Buckeye Quit Stick is an innovative cessation aid designed to directly address patients' hand/oral habit by substituting the cessation aid for cigarettes without integrating pharmacologic intervention, which is typically managed by their medical provider and may require direct supervision due to the patient's health status. The Buckeye Quit Stick is designed to satisfy the repeated hand/oral pattern or ritual, thereby avoiding the physical loss of holding a cigarette in the hand or mouth and the action of smoking. It may also help occupy fidgeting hands and potentially reduce stress and cravings. This novel cessation resource may address key factors that influence smoking abstinence and improve patients' health outcomes.

Bevacizumab and Temsirolimus Alone or in Combination With Valproic Acid or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Malignancy or Other Benign Disease

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of bevacizumab and temsirolimus alone or in combination with valproic acid or cetuximab in treating patients with a malignancy that has spread to other places in the body or other disease that is not cancerous. Immunotherapy with bevacizumab and cetuximab, may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Temsirolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as valproic acid, 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. It is not yet known whether bevacizumab and temsirolimus work better when given alone or with valproic acid or cetuximab in treating patients with a malignancy or other disease that is not cancerous.

Electronic Symptom Monitoring Program for Triggered Palliative Referrals in Patients With Thoracic Cancer

This clinical trial evaluates earlier symptom management through remote electronic symptom monitoring (such as through an app on patient's phone), and accessibility of palliative care self-referral by patients with thoracic cancer and caregivers by proxy (legal representative). Thoracic cancer occurs in the chest and often causes symptoms for patients. Patients and/or their caregivers are often unable to attend in-person clinic visits for various reasons. The most frequently reported symptom by patients at initial palliative care consultations is pain, and caregivers' most common concerns are pain management for the patient, stress reduction, and fears about patient decline. Earlier palliative care referral can help control these symptoms before they worsen, providing a better quality of life for patients and caregivers. improve physical and emotional functioning for patients and caregivers in cancer care. This study may help researchers learn how an electronic symptom monitoring program may provide an earlier and more accessible way for patients with thoracic cancer to receive palliative care.