Clinical Research Directory

Knowledge-enhanced Digital Intervention to Prevent Low Anterior Resection Syndrome

Low anterior resection syndrome refers to changes in bowel habits such as frequent defecation, urgent defecation, and fecal incontinence, which result in decreased bowel function. It occurs very commonly after surgery for colorectal cancer, especially rectal cancer, and symptoms appear severely immediately after surgery, followed by a recovery process. It is known that symptoms improve significantly after one year of surgery, but in some patients, symptoms persist, which significantly affects the quality of life and causes social problems. There is no established treatment method for low anterior resection syndrome, and accurate evaluation and customized treatment are required according to the patient's surgical or radiotherapy treatment content and symptoms. It is also important to monitor the change in symptoms during the treatment process, and a customized step-by-step treatment strategy for such patients is required. However, such a customized step-by-step treatment strategy for such patients is very complex, and there are no clear guidelines to date, and the research design for some clinical trials has been recently reported. The purpose of this study was to develop an app-based Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) standardized questionnaire for patients after rectal cancer surgery to systematically collect and monitor symptom information, establish a multidisciplinary management plan tailored to patients, and provide education and treatment to improve the quality of life of rectal cancer survivors. A management program utilizing a research device (app) can reduce the incidence of Major LARS after rectal cancer surgery compared to standard treatment.

Evaluating the Impact of Financial Navigation on Financial Catastrophe and Distress for Cancer Care

The goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a structured financial navigation program in reducing financial catastrophe and financial distress for cancer patients in Nigeria. The main study questions being investigated are: 1. If a financial navigation program can effectively and significantly reduce financial catastrophe and distress for cancer patients in Nigeria? 2. If a financial navigation program is financially sustainable and cost-effective for cancer centers in Nigeria? Participants will be required to: 1. Complete surveys about their demographics, clinical history, and socioeconomic status 2. Complete questionnaires about their quality of life and psychological wellbeing 3. Report all costs related to their cancer care Investigators will compare participants in the financial navigation program and those not in the financial navigation program to identify potential differences in catastrophic health expenditure and financial distress.

Radiotherapy & Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for Recurrent Rectal Cancer in Previously Irradiated Patients, an Italian Association for Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO)-GI Platform: a Multi-centre Prospective Observational Study

The introduction of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and the use of advanced surgical techniques have led to a reduction in mortality and recurrence rates for rectal cancer, the rate of which currently stands at 4-8%. Complete cytoreduction (achieving R0) of local recurrence is the main factor correlating with survival, but surgery can often be very complex because of the change in anatomical planes caused by previous surgery. Reirradiation of the recurrence may increase the rate of optimal resection (R0) and may palliate symptoms in unresectable disease. It is a very complex procedure, because one has to take into account the dose previously received by the organs at risk (OARs) and at the same time be able to deliver an effective dose to the recurrence. However with modern irradiation techniques (VMAT) it is possible to increasingly spare the OARs and deliver adequate doses in this setting as well. Besides radiotherapy with conventional fractionation, other promising options are stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with and proton (PT) and carbon ion RT (CIRT). Another topic of interest is chemotherapy intensification (CHT): recent studies of concomitant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Total Neoadjuvant Therapy) have shown high rates of antitumour response, however even this option should be evaluated with caution, because it must take into account previous cancer treatments received by the patient. Based on the evidence reported in the literature, it is reasonable to assume that treatment of local recurrence of rectal cancer should be multimodal, integrating surgical treatment with CHT and RT, using the different technologies available. To this end, proper stratification of patients is necessary in order to target the appropriate therapy according to the type of recurrence and their clinical condition.

Loop Ileostomy Closure:Stapled or Hand-sewn Anastomoses? Suture or Mesh Closure of the Stoma Site?

There are severel problems associated with the closing of a temporary loop-ileostomy after surgery for rectal cancer. The purpose of this study is to answer two questions: 1. The choice of anastomotic method - does it influence the postoperative course? 2. The use of a prophylactic mesh when closing the stoma site - will there be less hernias?