Clinical Research Directory

Bevacizumab Versus Corticosteroids as First-line Treatment in Patients With Symptomatic Cerebral Radiation Necrosis After Radiation for High-grade Glioma or Brain Metastases

Cerebral radiation necrosis (CRN) is a severe complication of high-dose radiation for brain metastases (BM) or glioma, which can potentially cause significant neurologic symptoms leading to serious morbidity and impaired quality of life (QoL). The first-line therapy for symptomatic CRN (sCRN) is corticosteroids, primarily dexamethasone, which often leads to complications, refractory symptoms, and interference with anti-cancer treatment. Since 2017, bevacizumab, an antibody against Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), has been used in a second-line treatment setting for refractory sCRN. A small randomized clinical trial (RCT) has shown that bevacizumab significantly diminishes cerebral edema on MRI and decreases clinical symptoms of sCRN in irradiated glioma patients. Several non-randomized clinical studies demonstrated a beneficial radiological and clinical effect of bevacizumab in patients with sCRN after irradiation for BM. The optimal first-line treatment for sCRN is currently unknown. Effective and safe first-line treatment of sCRN will optimize the patient's well-being and health-related QoL. Furthermore, minimizing corticosteroid use will benefit the clinical treatment options and outcomes of concomitant or future anti-cancer treatment. This phase III multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial compares the clinical efficacy of first-line bevacizumab versus standard-of-care dexamethasone for sCRN in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) or BM.

Oral 5 Strain Probiotic for GI Toxicity Mitigation During Pelvic Radiation

This research is to determine if an oral probiotic, Pendulum Glucose Control (PGC), can be safely given to patients during pelvic radiation therapy (RT). The researchers will study if the probiotics lessen gastrointestinal toxicity during pelvic radiation.

The Radiation ProtEction for Dose RedUction in the Cardiac CathEter Lab Study: The REDUCE Trial

Doctors and nurses who perform heart procedures using X-ray guidance are exposed to radiation, which can be harmful over time. This exposure increases the risk of certain health problems, including cancers, eye damage (cataracts), and DNA damage. Although protective lead clothing is used to reduce exposure, it is heavy, uncomfortable, and can cause muscle and joint problems for those who wear it daily. A new radiation protection device, called RAMPART, may help reduce radiation exposure for heart specialists and their teams. It could also allow them to wear lighter protective gear-or none at all-making their work safer and more comfortable. This study will compare the radiation levels received by doctors and nurses during heart procedures when using RAMPART versus standard protection. By doing so, we hope to find out if this new device can better protect medical teams from radiation, improving both their safety and well-being.

Clinical Observation of Drug Retention Enema in Preventing Acute Radiation-induced Rectal Injury

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug retention enema for the prevention of acute radiation rectal injury in the real world.