Clinical Research Directory

Biomechanical Characterization of Skin Properties Using Impact Based-Analysis Method (IBAM)

Skin palpation remains, alongside visual inspection, the main clinical tool used to detect cutaneous abnormalities. However, palpation is a subjective, operator-dependent examination with limited sensitivity. There is currently no simple, real-time, low-cost, non-invasive tool available in routine clinical practice to objectively characterize the mechanical properties of skin tissue. The Impact-Based Analysis Method (IBAM) is a non-invasive biomechanical characterization technique developed by the MSME laboratory (Modélisation et Simulation Multi-Échelle, Université Paris Est Créteil) and the Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research (IMRB). It measures the mechanical response of soft tissue to a small mechanical impact, producing a quantitative indicator (Δt) that reflects local tissue stiffness. The reproducibility and sensitivity of this method have previously been demonstrated in preclinical models. This study aims to evaluate whether IBAM can distinguish malignant cutaneous tumors (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma) from healthy surrounding skin based on their mechanical properties, and to characterize how these mechanical properties evolve from the tumor center toward clinically healthy margins. This is a prospective, single-center, ex vivo cohort study conducted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Henri Mondor University Hospital (AP-HP), France. Patients undergoing surgical excision (with margins) for a suspected malignant cutaneous tumor will be included. Immediately after surgical excision, and before the specimen is sent for standard pathological examination, IBAM measurements will be performed ex vivo at three locations on the surgical specimen: the center of the tumor, the near peri-lesional area, and the distant peri-lesional area (presumed healthy margin). This additional step does not modify the patient's usual surgical or diagnostic management and does not require any additional intervention on the patient. The primary objective is to compare the IBAM-derived mechanical indicator (Δt) between malignant tissue and healthy tissue, using paired measurements from the same surgical specimen. The secondary objective is to describe the progressive change in mechanical properties from the tumor center to the healthy margin, which may help define more objective surgical safety margins in the future. A total of 10 patients will be included, based on a sample size calculation for a paired comparison (α = 5%, power = 80%). Statistical analysis will use paired Student's t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, depending on data distribution (assessed by Shapiro-Wilk test). This research does not fall under the French "Loi Jardé" framework for research involving the human person, as it involves no additional intervention beyond standard care. It complies with the CNIL reference methodology MR-004. Patients receive individual written information and provide written consent or non-opposition prior to inclusion. Data are pseudonymized and securely stored. If confirmed, this method could provide surgeons with a simple, rapid, and objective tool to help differentiate malignant from healthy skin tissue intraoperatively, and to better define resection margins, with the ultimate goal of improving the surgical management of cutaneous malignancies.

Phase Ib Study of AlpeliSib With PEmbroLizumab in Patients With mEtastatic Breast caNcer or melanomA (SELENA)

To find a recommended dose of the combination of alpelisib and pembrolizumab that can be given to patients with metastatic breast cancer or melanoma.

A Study of Lifileucel (Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes) in Adults With Advanced Melanoma

This is a Phase 2, multicenter, open-label study of lifileucel (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes \[TIL\]) in participants with previously treated advanced melanoma

NeoAdjuvant, Spare-Adjuvant (NASA) in Stage IIIB-IV (M1a) Melanoma

This study evaluates the impact of neoadjuvant Programmed cell death Protein 1 (PD-1)-based treatment regimens in patients with resectable stage IIIB-M1a cutaneous or unknown primary melanoma at high risk of relapse without adjuvant therapy after definitive lymphadenectomy and irrespective of pathologic response outcome on the 2-year overall survival (OS). It was hypothesized that neoadjuvant PD1 inhibitor-based treatment without adjuvant treatment does not significantly (non-inferior) impact OS in this study patient population. Patients will be randomized to either two infusions of pembrolizumab or one infusion of ipilimumab plus nivolumab followed by a single infusion of nivolumab. Patients will undergo follow-up and restaging scans to assess event-free survival at 12 months and OS at 24 months after the first neoadjuvant treatment infusion.

Pan-tumor MRD Study

The purpose of this observational study is to collect clinical information, blood, and tumor tissue samples from participants diagnosed with stage I, stage II, or operable stage III cancer in select solid tumors. The information collected will be used to develop tests to better understand cancer, for example, to improve cancer detection and to assess the risk of cancer coming back. Participants will receive routine standard of care from their doctor and their involvement is expected to last for approximately five and a half (5.5) years.

Bright Light Therapy in Patients With Melanoma or Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Who Are Receiving First-Line Immune Checkpoint Blockade

This study is being done to test whether bright light therapy can be used to synchronize patients' circadian rhythms and allow ICB (immune-checkpoint blockade) therapy to be administered at a time in the circadian rhythm that optimizes clinical outcomes. This trial will test the feasibility of delivering bright light therapy (BLT) to patients undergoing ICB therapy. This trial asks participants to spend 60 minutes every morning receiving daily bright light therapy for at least 7 days prior to starting Immune Checkpoint blockade-containing regimens (e.g. anti-PD-1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 alone or in combination with chemotherapy). The bright light therapy will be delivered via the Circadian OS iPad application. There is evidence that a person's circadian rhythm can affect the response to immunotherapy. The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Many patients with cancer have disrupted circadian rhythms and it's possible that disrupted circadian rhythms decrease the likelihood of responding to immunotherapy. The idea is to use bright light therapy, delivered via the Circadian OS iPad application, for an hour in the morning to synchronize your circadian rhythm for a week before your planned immunotherapy. The investigators hope that this will increase the likelihood of a response to immunotherapy, however in this study, the investigators are mainly concerned with whether the bright light therapy is tolerable to patients.

SL-28 for Advanced Solid Tumours

Second Life Therapeutics is developing SL-28, an allogeneic, non-genetically modified cell-based therapy for the treatment of advanced solid tumours. The company has recently demonstrated a novel, non-genetic approach to modulate immune cell activity through targeted manipulation of the Universal Receptive System. The purpose of this open label, multi-center clinical trial is to evaluate the anti-tumor activity, safety, and pharmacokinetics, single-agent SL-28 in patients with a diverse array of solid tumors. The study includes an initial Phase 1 dose escalation to determine recommended dose(s) for expansion of SL-28 as a monotherapy and Phase 2 expansion cohorts. The study will enroll patients with advanced solid tumours, including those who failed previous lines of chemo- and immunotherapies.

MELanoma Brain Metastasis Treated With CYberknife

Melanoma is a type of cancer that can spread to the brain, making the disease harder to treat and worsening both survival and quality of life. In recent years, treatments have improved significantly thanks to advances in surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. These new treatments have greatly increased survival rates for patients with metastatic melanoma. This study focuses on stereotactic radiosurgery, a highly precise form of radiotherapy used to treat brain metastases. Researchers want to better understand how this treatment works when combined with immunotherapy or targeted therapy, and whether the timing and sequence of treatments can improve outcomes. Between 2026 and 2028, patients treated at the IEO for melanoma brain metastases will be observed and their clinical data collected. The goal is to improve future treatment strategies and help doctors choose the best therapeutic approach for each patient.

ENPP1/cGAS (EG) and FAP Expression Profiles in Solid Tumors: An Immunohistochemical Study in a Vietnamese Cohort

This Vietnam-based observational study examines ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1/cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (ENPP1/cGAS) protein and stromal fibroblast activation protein (FAP) expression in multiple solid tumor samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The study involves no investigational treatments or participant-facing procedures. Tumor samples used in this study consist exclusively of archived formalin-fixed paraffin- embedded (FFPE) tumor samples that were collected as part of routine clinical diagnosis or treatment and for which all required procedures for standard clinical care have been completed. Only archived tumor samples obtained from routine clinical care will be included in this study. No additional biopsy, surgical resection, or specimen collection will be performed for research purposes, and no sample will be diverted prior to completion of clinical requirements. All included archived tumor samples will undergo ENPP1, cGAS, and FAP IHC analysis according to the procedures specified in the Laboratory Manual.

Investigating the Combination of Bexmarilimab and Nivolumab in Solid Tumours, Melanoma and NSCLC

The trial will test if the combination of bexmarilimab and nivolumab can help patients whose cancers have stopped responding to immunotherapy treatment. It will focus on two cancers: non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma. Early research suggests bexmarilimab may change some immune cells inside the tumour so they create a stronger "attack" signal, which could help other immune cells recognise and kill cancer cells more effectively. This may make it easier for PD-1 immunotherapy drugs to work again by helping the immune system stay active against the tumour. This is a Phase I/II clinical trial. In Phase I, researchers will give increasing doses of bexmarilimab together with a standard (fixed) dose of nivolumab to patients with solid tumours, to find the safest and most suitable dose to use going forward (the recommended Phase 2 dose). In Phase II, the study will treat two groups of patients-one with non-small cell lung cancer and one with melanoma-using that selected dose.

Study of AMXT 1501 and DFMO in Combination With Standard Therapies in Advanced Solid Tumors

This study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary effectiveness of AMXT 1501 and DFMO when combined with standard treatments for advanced solid tumors. The trial includes two groups: * Cohort 1: Patients with ER+ / HER2- breast cancer receiving fulvestrant and capivasertib * Cohort 2: Patients with unresectable or metastatic cutaneous melanoma receiving pembrolizumab The Phase 1b portion will find the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D). The Phase 2 portion will further evaluate clinical activity at the RP2D using response criteria for solid tumors (RECIST 1.1). The study will also evaluate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, disease control, and overall safety.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide for Sentinel Lymph Node Localization in Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma: MagMen-II

A randomized, international, phase III, multi-center, non- inferiority trial assessing the safety and efficacy of Magtrace® (superparamagnetic iron oxide, SPIO) in identification of lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Participants will be injected with both tracer methods Technetium (Tc99) plus Blue Dye (BD) and Magtrace®). They will undergo both a lymphoscintigraphy and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the SLN basins. Before surgery, the participants will be randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to either start the SLNB procedure using Tc99/BD and gamma-probe followed by Magtrace® and magnetic probe, or SLNB using Magtrace® followed by Tc99/BD. Randomization will be stratified by study site using permuted variable block sizes.

Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in Patients With Stage IIb/c Melanoma

A phase II double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Patients with a clinical suspicion of a thick primary melanoma without clinical suspicion or evidence of lymph-node engagement will undergo a 3 mm punch biopsy to verify the diagnosis and ascertain eligibility. Patients will receive 1 cycle of pembrolizumab 400 mg or placebo and 4 weeks later undergo a wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy according to the national guideline recommendations . The primary objective is to evaluate the pathological response of one cycle of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with biopsy-proven stage IIb/c melanoma. Secondary objectives include efficacy and safety analysis, as well as biomarker discovery.

Gustabor Phase 2 - Treating Taste Changes During Cancer Therapy: A Randomized Study Evaluating an AI- Based Nutrition Intervention

The study investigates taste disorders that commonly occur during or after cancer treatment, often leading to issues such as malnutrition and treatment discontinuation. Although many non-pharmacological recommendations exist, it is unclear which methods are suitable for which individuals. This randomized study aims to compare the effectiveness of individualized dietary recommendations (Gustabor group) with the current standard of care -general recommendations (Control group). Participants will undergo an objective assessment of taste disorders using taste strips and questionnaires. Based on the results, the Gustabor group will receive both general and specific dietary suggestions. These will be accomapnied by AI-generated recipe suggestions tailored to specific taste disorders (e.g., more cold foods in cases of metallic taste). The control group will receive the current standard: a flyer containing general dietary advice for oncology patients previously shown to be beneficial for managing taste alterations. The primary endpoint is the PG-SGA score within 12 weeks of inclusion.

Investigating Real-Time Immunotherapy Symptoms Study

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using information from wearable devices and self-reported symptoms to remotely monitor patients during immunotherapy. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is the digital remote patient monitoring tool feasible and acceptable to patients? * Do the alerts and guidance improve symptom management, quality of life, and engagement with the care team during treatment? Participants will: * Complete a demographic questionnaire at the beginning of the study and quality-of-life and health questionnaires at the beginning, midpoint, and end of study. * As feasible: At the beginning and end of the study, complete an in-person physical function assessment measuring balance (Short Physical Performance Battery). If participant is randomly assigned to the intervention group, they will also: * Complete weekly symptom ratings via digital remote patient monitoring tool * Wear a Fitbit activity tracker as feasible for 90 days. * At the end of the study, complete a semi-structured interview to provide feedback on the study.

A Multicenter Randomized Open-Label Trial Evaluating ctDNA-Guided Interruption Versus Standard of Care Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) Therapy In Patients With Advanced / Metastatic Solid Tumors.

This is a multicenter, open-label, randomized (1:1) trial designed to evaluate whether ctDNA-guided interruption of immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy provides comparable survival to standard of care (SoC) continuous ICI therapy in patients with histologically confirmed advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-High)/Deficient Mismatch Repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and other solid tumors. This study will be conducted in up to 100 sites.

A Comparative Usability Study of Two Total Body Skin Imaging Systems

This study aims to generate evidence on patient and dermatologist perspectives regarding two total body photography systems. Patient and clinician preferences represent key factors in healthcare decision-making. The investigation will also provide data on the time efficiency of each system in a real-world setting.

Clinical Study on High-fiber Diet and Short-term Fasting in Melanoma Under Immunotherapy With Checkpoint Inhibition

The treatment of melanoma has improved significantly in recent years. A modern form of cancer treatment known as immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors plays a key role in this. These drugs help the immune system better recognize and fight cancer cells. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to maximize treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects. One possible approach to influencing treatment efficacy and tolerability is diet. A high-fiber diet, as recommended by the German Nutrition Society, increases the effectiveness of immunotherapy, in part through its influence on gut bacteria (the gut microbiota). Initial studies also show that short-term fasting (i.e., eating nothing or very little for a limited period) reduces the side effects of immunotherapy in mouse models and improves the tolerability of chemotherapy in humans. This study investigates the feasability of a study on short-term fasting, in addition to a high-fiber diet in patiens with melanoma undergoing immunotherapy. 40 participants will follow a high-fiber diet based on the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society. Additionally, half of the participants will undergo periodic cycles of short-term fasting of 72h with each immunotherapy. Another 20 participants will not undergo any intervention and serve as a control group. The goal is to determine whether this study concept is feasible. Exploratory outcomes include, quality of life, fatigue, tolerability of the therapy, impact on disease progression, immune system (flow cytometry) and gut bacteria (microbiome). The results are intended to help understand whether targeted dietary measures can support the effectiveness of modern cancer treatments.

Dietary Fiber to Induce Gut Microbiota-mediated Response to Immunotherapy in Melanoma.

Previous research has shown that a higher fiber intake may have a beneficial effect on the intestinal health and improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy, but this is not certain. The objective of this double-blinded randomized clinical trial is to analyze, whether increased dietary fiber intake by patients with metastatic melanoma will increase the relative amount of Bifidobacterium, which in turn stimulates immune cell activity and improves the response to immunotherapy.

Sun Exposure and Activities After Skin Cancer: Optimization of mHealth Interventions

The purpose of this study is to evaluate 5 different smartphone administered sun protection interventions that aim to reduce unprotected sun exposure in melanoma survivors. Participants are asked to wear an ultraviolet (UV) device and an activity monitor (Actigraph) to measure their daily UV exposure and track their physical activity for three separate assessment weeks and complete daily surveys. After the first assessment week, eligible participants are assigned up to 5 different sun protection interventions that are administered through a smartphone application for 8 weeks. Following 8-week use of the sun protection interventions, participants complete another assessment week. At the end of the assessment week, participants provide feedback on the design and usability of the UV device, smartphone application and each of the sun protection interventions that they experienced. One year later, participants are contacted again to complete a final assessment week.

Navigation Intervention for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors

The investigators propose to: 1) Adapt an evidence-based cancer-focused patient navigation (PN) program for the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivor population; and 2) Plan and conduct an effectiveness-implementation trial of this program within Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). PLEASE NOTE: This study is awarded in two phases. The UG3 phase has been awarded for the first two years; upon successful completion of this phase by meeting pre-defined milestones, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will provide funding for the second phase of the study (Years 3-6), which will allow our team to conduct a trial to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the adapted PN program for the AYA cancer survivor population. This application is focused on the initial UG3 phase and will update the protocol for the UH3 trial upon successful completion of the UG3 milestones and receipt of the UH3 award. The primary objectives in the UG3 phase of the study are to adapt and tailor an existing PN program to meet the needs of AYA cancer survivors and the local clinical context via (a) interviews with key stakeholders (patients, clinicians, administrators) and (b) guidance from our AYA Primary Care Survivorship Council. The investigators will conduct a pilot study of the adapted PN program and refine the program to enhance acceptability to patients and clinicians, enhance feasibility and effectiveness, and develop and pilot evaluation tools and methods prior to the start of the UH3 phase of the trial, which will be a larger trial. Objectives will be updated for the UH3 phase once awarded.

Predicting Response to Immunotherapy From Analysis of Live Tumor Biopsies (ELEPHAS-05)

This study will collect tumor specimens with correlated clinical and demographic data from patients who are undergoing a biopsy or similar procedure to obtain tumor tissue as a normal course of their medical management or diagnostic work-up for suspected or confirmed cancer.

Digital Phenotyping of Psychological Distress in Skin Cancer Patients

This prospective observational study enrolls 500 skin cancer patients across five Chinese tertiary care centers. The investigators use natural language processing and a hierarchical transformer model to analyse 1.2 million social media posts (Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat) for psychological distress and suicide ideation, with prospective validation of an AI Early Warning System.

Evaluating a Decision Aid for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Intermediate-Risk Melanoma

This research study is testing a decision aid to help patients think through whether to have sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can be a difficult decision for some patients because the potential benefits and risks may not be clear. This study is being done to learn whether providing structured, easy-to-understand information helps patients feel more informed and less uncertain about their decision. Patients in this study will be given a paper decision aid (DA). Patients will be given other short questionnaires to complete before and after the decision aid.