Clinical Research Directory

Belzutifan/MK-6482 for the Treatment of Advanced Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma (PPGL), Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor (pNET), Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Disease-Associated Tumors, Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (wt GIST), or Solid Tumors With HIF-2α Related Genetic Alterations (MK-6482-015)

This is a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of belzutifan monotherapy in participants with advanced pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated tumors, advanced wt (wild-type) gastrointestinal stromal tumor (wt GIST), or advanced solid tumors with hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) related genetic alterations. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) of belzutifan per response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) by blinded independent central review (BICR).

Extension Study for Participants in Studies That Include Belzutifan (MK-6482-043/LITESPARK-043)

Researchers are looking for new ways to treat advanced solid tumors and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-related tumors: * Advanced means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or cannot be removed with surgery * Solid tumors are cancers mostly in body organs and tissues, not in the blood or other body liquids * VHL-related tumors are tumors caused by VHL disease. VHL disease is passed down from parents to children and people with VHL disease have a higher chance of getting certain types of cancer Researchers want to learn about the long-term effects of a trial medicine called belzutifan. Belzutifan, also called MK-6482, is designed to block a protein that helps tumors grow and survive. This is an extension trial, which means only people who were in certain other belzutifan trials (called parent trials) may be able to join. The goal of this trial is to learn how long people live after they start taking belzutifan.

Natural History and Management of Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Associated Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Background: People with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) can have problems with a variety of organs, such as the pancreas. The disease can cause tumors of the pancreas. This can result in life-threatening complications. Researchers want to learn more about these pancreatic tumors and how to better detect them. This may help them design better future treatment and care for people with VHL disease. Objective: To better understand VHL disease that affects the pancreas and to test whether adding a certain type of scan (68-Gallium DOTATATE PET/CT) can further detect tumors. Eligibility: People ages 12 and older with VHL that causes tumors and cysts to grow in the pancreas Design: Participants will be screened with their medical records and imaging studies. Participants will have an initial evaluation: Participants will have their body examined by different doctors. This will depend on what types of symptoms they have. Participants will have blood and urine tests Participants will have images made of their body using one or more machines: They made have a CT or PET/CT scan in which they lie on a table that moves through a big ring. They may have an MRI in which they lie on a table that moves into a big tube. They may have an ultrasound that uses a small stick that produces sound waves to look at the body. After the first visit, participants will be asked to return to the NIH. Some of the tests performed at the first visit will be repeated. Depending on their disease status, visits will be once a year or every 2 years for life.

Familial Investigations of Childhood Cancer Predisposition

NOTE: This is a research study and is not meant to be a substitute for clinical genetic testing. Families may never receive results from the study or may receive results many years from the time they enroll. If you are interested in clinical testing please consider seeing a local genetic counselor or other genetics professional. If you have already had clinical genetic testing and meet eligibility criteria for this study as shown in the Eligibility Section, you may enroll regardless of the results of your clinical genetic testing. While it is well recognized that hereditary factors contribute to the development of a subset of human cancers, the cause for many cancers remains unknown. The application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has expanded knowledge in the field of hereditary cancer predisposition. Currently, more than 100 cancer predisposing genes have been identified, and it is now estimated that approximately 10% of all cancer patients have an underlying genetic predisposition. The purpose of this protocol is to identify novel cancer predisposing genes and/or genetic variants. For this study, the investigators will establish a Data Registry linked to a Repository of biological samples. Health information, blood samples and occasionally leftover tumor samples will be collected from individuals with familial cancer. The investigators will use NGS approaches to find changes in genes that may be important in the development of familial cancer. The information gained from this study may provide new and better ways to diagnose and care for people with hereditary cancer. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: * Establish a registry of families with clustering of cancer in which clinical data are linked to a repository of cryopreserved blood cells, germline DNA, and tumor tissues from the proband and other family members. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: * Identify novel cancer predisposing genes and/or genetic variants in families with clustering of cancer for which the underlying genetic basis is unknown.

Retrospective Case Series of Trans-scleral Cryotherapy for Retinal Hemangioblastoma

Background: Retinal hemangioblastoma (RH) is a tumor. It grows from the retina in the eye. It can threaten a person s vision. Trans-scleral cryotherapy is used to destroy the tumors and minimize the long-term risks of vision loss. RH is a rare condition, often occurring in people with von Hippel-Lindau disease. There are no clinical trials to study how well the treatment works. Researchers want to study the medical records of people with RH who were treated at the NIH eye clinic to learn more. Objective: To analyze clinical data collected over a 20-year span to study consecutive cases of RH managed with trans-scleral cryotherapy at the NIH. Eligibility: People who took part in NIH natural history protocols for which cryotherapy of RH was performed as a standard care measure. Design: Researchers will collect and study data from participants medical charts. Participants will not be contacted because no new data is needed. Researchers were granted a waiver of informed consent for use of these medical records. To protect patient privacy, participants will be assigned an ID number. Their data will be entered into a spreadsheet in a coded fashion. The key to this code will be kept in a secure file. No patient identifying information will be used in the analysis or the publication....

Institutional Registry of Rare Diseases

The goal of this observational study is to create a single macro registry system with data collection on common clinical features, grouping the different rare diseases (RD). Moreover, the specific goals are to generate an alert system for possible cases of RD with data from the electronic medical record, to describe the occurrence of RD in the evaluated population, to characterize the population, to describe patterns of diagnosis and treatment of RD present at the time, and to explore patient-reported outcomes.

Promoting Stress Management and Resilience Among Individuals With Von Hippel- Lindau Disease

The Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP) has shown efficacy in improving coping and resilience across diverse populations; however, little is known about how it helps individuals manage the challenges of living with a chronic illness. This study proposes to pilot test an adapted version of the 3RP among patients living with VHL.

Genetic Bases of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms in Mexican Patients

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogeneous group of lesions derived from cells with the ability to produce hormones that may arise from multiple different organs. Their clinical behavior is quite variable, encompassing both benign lesions and aggressive tumors that invade surrounding and/or distant structures. NENs may also cause serious morbidity due to hormone oversecretion. NENs are among the most frequently inherited human tumors, presenting either isolated or as part of syndromes in which a single patient or family develops multiple tumors. There are also non-inherited changes in the genetic information of the tumor cells that are potential targets for treatment. Both inherited and non-inherited DNA defects can be identified using modern routine genetic tests which, unfortunately, are not widely available in Mexico. This project seeks to uncover the genetic defects causing NENs in a large cohort of Mexican patients, using three different methods for genetic testing. Adult individuals with various types of NENs from two reference hospitals in Mexico City will be invited to participate. After completing informed consent, blood and, if possible, tissue samples will be obtained from all participants. Clinical details, laboratory results, imaging studies, and histopathological data at disease presentation will be retrieved. An initial screening will be performed by analyzing changes in the sequence of multiple genes that have been associated with the occurrence of NENs. In cases with negative screening, a specific method to assess changes in the number of copies of the same genes will also be employed. Finally, sequences of all DNA regions encoding information required to make proteins will be obtained in selected cases. Analyses will be carried out in blood and, if available, also in tumor tissue samples from study participants. Screening of additional family members will be offered. This project will accurately describe the repertoire of specific defects causing NENs in the study population, and will likely uncover and characterize novel genetic associations. The results will contribute for a better understanding of the alterations within and outside known driver genes that shape syndromic presentations, tumor behaviors, and inheritance patterns in individuals with NENs. These data will contribute to improve the information on the molecular bases of NENs, including alterations that can be used as therapeutic targets.

MyVHL: Patient Natural History Study

MyVHL is a multi-patient database which helps researchers identify patterns across VHL patients. MyVHL provides you -and researchers -with more complete information about VHL, like how your lifestyle, medications, and other factors impact the disease and quality of life. These insights help you better understand the condition and help researchers know where to focus their efforts. Due to its rarity, there is less understanding of VHL and the factors that may have an impact. The data individuals provide in MyVHL helps researchers identify and uncover factors that may increase risk, inhibit or slow tumor growth, or lead to an effective cure.

Mechanisms of Somatic Mutation and Tumor Initiation in Pre-malignant Kidney Tubule Cells

The goal of this observational study is to analyze somatic mutations in the genome of normal kidney cells from patients affected by kidney cancer predisposition syndrome Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) and compare the mutation rates observed in these patients and in individuals not affected by the disease. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Do kidney cells from VHL patients mutate more than cells from control individuals during adult life? * What mechanisms favor somatic mutation occurrence in the genome of normal kidney tubule cells? Participants will donate one blood sample and multiple urine samples. Urines will be used for kidney cell isolation, followed by cell culturing and genetic analyses. Urine samples will be collected once a year for 3-5 years. Sample collection will occur during the yearly screening program that each patient undergoes at the hospital. In case patients undergo surgical treatment of kidney tumors, samples discarded from surgery (tumor and normal kidney adjacent to tumor) will be collected and subjected to genetic analyses. Researchers will compare the number and types of mutations found in tumors and normal kidney cells from VHL-disease patients with those found in normal kidney cells from control individuals, to see if somatic mutation rates are increased in VHL-disease patients during aging.

Propranolol and Von Hippel-Lindau Disease

Propranolol (beta-blocker), is successfully used for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas, the most common vascular tumor of newborns. The mechanism is related to its anti-angiogenetic and pro-apoptotic effects. Recently, in vitro studies demonstrated that propranolol decreased the expression of target genes of the HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor, of which the VHL gene is the main regulator) pathway in hemangioblastoma cells and affected their viability. The efficacy of propranolol (stabilization of all HB and decrease in serum VEGF levels) was demonstrated in a phase III study, but only in retinal BHs . The only study that evaluated the effect of propranolol on CNS HB was retrospective and involved a limited number of patients. Nevertheless, it showed a decrease in the growth rate of HBs. The investigator therefore propose to carry out a randomized controlled trial to study the effect of propranolol on the growth of CNS HB in patients with VHL disease (von Hippel-Lindau). The hypothesis of the present work is the following: the use of propranolol in VHL patients with CNS HB allows to decrease and/or slow down the tumor growth.

Screening for Endolymphatic Sac Tumours (ELSTs) in Von Hippel-Lindau (vHL) Patients

The purpose of the study is to investigate how best to screen for Endolymphatic sac tumors (ELSTs) in von Hippel-Lindau (vHL) patients in order to diagnose the ELSTs while they are still small so that hearing loss can be prevented. Up to 16% of vHL patients are known to develop endolymphatic sac tumors in the inner ear that can cause permanent hearing loss. However, the ELSTs are often not found before hearing loss has already occurred. The challenge for doctors is to diagnose the ELSTs at early stages before they cause often irreversible deafness. In order to find ELSTs before they cause hearing loss, it is important to screen for the tumors prophylactically, that is screen all vHL patients regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Who can join? Persons diagnosed with vHL who are at least 15 years old. The investigators include patients WITH OR WITHOUT a diagnosed ELST. What does it involve? You need to have a hearing test and an MRI of the brain, where the inner ear can be seen, most vHL patients have already had this done as part of their surveillance program. Participants will be asked to participate in follow up examinations (hearing test and/or MRI of the brain) after 2, 5, and 10 years. How can I join? A doctor has to be responsible for the study in each country where vHL patients participates. Ask the doctor who manages your vHL examinations to contact us or contact us yourself and the investigators will help you find a doctor in your country who will participate in the study.