View clinical trials related to Cancer.
Filter by:This project is designed to investigate whether measurements of lactate in tumours, made using a magnetic resonance technique similar to MRI, is an effective non-invasive method to detect whether some new targeted drugs are having their desired effect. The study hypothesis is that by using magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques, we will be able to observe changes in tumour lactate levels in vivo, in response to treatment.
Maternal malignancy during pregnancy is estimated to occur in 1 out of 1000 pregnancies. Controversy exists regarding the effect of pregnancy on cancer prognosis. Gestational hormones and pregnancy-related growth factors may induce a more aggressive behavior in malignant cells. However, metastasis to the products of conception is rare. In the current study investigators wish to analyze the effect of placental explants on cancer cells (cervical, ovarian, thyroid, melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia and breast)phenotype (cell death, proliferation, migration , invasion), signaling pathway, mRNA, miRNA and protein expression.
Anlotibib (ALTN) is a kind of innovative medicines approved by State Food and Drug Administration（SFDA） which was researched by Jiangsu Chia-tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ALTN is a kinase inhibitor of receptor tyrosine with multi-targets, especially for VEGFR2 and VEGFR3. It has the obvious resistance to new angiogenesis. The protocol is to explore ALTN for the effectiveness of advanced soft tissue sarcoma and security.
The purpose of this study is to test an innovative and sustainable intervention to increase participation in a union-sponsored smoking cessation program among carpenters and floor layers. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing targeted messaging versus standard messaging. All subjects will receive information about the free, union-sponsored smoking cessation program. Subjects randomized to the intervention group will receive additional targeted materials to encourage enrollment in the union's smoking cessation program. The intervention will include monthly mailed and text messages. The investigators hypothesize that subjects who receive targeted messages will be more likely to enroll in the union-sponsored smoking cessation program, be more likely to show change in readiness to quit smoking, and be more likely to quit smoking compared to subjects who receive only standard messaging.
In adolescence, the effects of cancer and its treatment can lead to bodily changes such as hair loss, weight loss or gain, amputations, scars and developmental delay. As treatments for childhood cancers improve and life expectancy increases, more adolescents have to deal with the effects of cancer and the treatment on their bodies throughout their lives. Body image can be defined as "The mental image we hold of our bodies". There are two aspects to this, how we "see" our size/shape/weight etc, and then how we feel about this. Often the actual change in body does not always predict how people cope with it, or how they feel about it. Prior research suggests, and clinical experiences suggests that body image issues arise for at least some adolescents with cancer, however it is unknown whether a disturbance in body image is seen as distressing for the adolescent, or how this affects them psychologically. Body image problems were always seen as a typically female problem, and therefore researchers have often neglected to look at the issues for men. There is currently no research specifically addressing the impact of body image in adolescent boys with cancer. This research will involve interviewing adolescent males with cancer with the aims to find out; 1. What the body image issues are, if any for this group. 2. How any body image issues might affect them, particularly psychologically. 3. What helps or hinders this group maintain a positive body image, or stop it having a negative impact on them psychologically. It is hoped that this will help to inform psychological treatments for body image difficulties in the future.
Pre-agricultural societies almost universally used healing ceremonies that involved reverence, rhythm and dance in the presence of a healer. It is believed that we are "wired" for such experiences and they foster an integrative mode of consciousness similar to that of mindfulness based stress reduction, which has been shown to have therapeutic effects in a variety of conditions. Collaborator Ava Lavonne Vinesett of the Duke Dance Program has developed a healing ceremony based in sub-Saharan African traditions. The investigators plan is to have 25 subjects with a variety of clinical conditions participate in this ceremony. Subjects will then be asked to write a commentary about their experience and to participate in a focus group discussion. It is anticipated that the study will give us some idea of how promising this approach would be and what kinds of patients might benefit. Safety issues are minimal and include the possibility of injury (though the dancing is not strenuous) and psychological distress.
Cancer patients often experience problems in their care, many of which are caused by communication breakdowns. Some communication breakdowns lead to adverse events and even harmful errors. Deficiencies in provider-patient communication can compound patients' distress, lower the quality of care, and disrupt patient-provider relationships. There is little research on patients' and providers' experiences of the communication breakdowns that precipitate adverse events and errors, or on effective responses to these events. Because of this, cancer providers are unsure how to communicate with patients in these difficult situations. The goal of the proposed study is to improve patient-centered communication around adverse events and errors in cancer care. Our specific aims are: 1) To describe patients' experiences with communication around adverse events and errors in cancer care, 2) To describe providers' experiences and practices with communication around adverse events and errors in cancer care, 3) To develop practical recommendations, provider training materials and patient educational materials for improving communication around adverse events and errors in cancer care, 4) To disseminate the recommendations and materials through three health plans, and 5) To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the perceived usefulness and impact of the materials. The investigators will first conduct interviews with breast and colorectal cancer patients who have experienced adverse events or errors at 3 Cancer Research Network (CRN) health plans (Atlanta, Georgia; Seattle, Washington and Worcester, Massachusetts). The interviews will focus on instances where patients believe that better communication might have prevented an adverse event or error, or mitigated the event's impact. Next the investigators will conduct focus groups to understand providers' attitudes and experiences with these communication dilemmas, and use simulations to describe providers' communication practices. Finally, the investigators will interview health plan leaders to identify the systems factors that influence communication with patients around adverse events and errors. These perspectives will be synthesized to create patient and provider educational material for improving communication. Three advisory panels: a Patient Advisory Panel, a Health Plan Advisory Panel and a Dissemination Advisory Panel (including all 14 CRN health plans) will help create and disseminate these educational interventions. Dissemination will occur at the three core clinical sites. The investigators use patient and provider surveys to evaluate the educational materials' impact. This evaluation will provide the evidence-base to refine the study products before widespread dissemination throughout the CRN and beyond. The project will have the advantage of the CRN infrastructure, the CRN Clinical Communication Research Center, and is led by nationally recognized communication researchers.
The study objective is to collect and report 12-month outcomes pertaining to activities of daily living, quality of life, and safety parameters in a Medicare population to be treated with balloon kyphoplasty in the treatment of painful, acute, vertebral body compression fractures (VCFs) associated with either osteoporosis or cancer. The primary objective is to show statistically significant improvement from baseline in the four co-primary endpoints (SF-36v2, PCS, EQ-5D, NRS back pain and ODI) at 3-months; study success will be declared if the primary objective is met. New radiographic fractures, non-surgical management received, VCF-related healthcare resource utilization, and vertebral body height restoration data will also be collected.
Weight loss and muscle wasting commonly occurs in patients with cancer, negatively influencing their quality of life, treatment response and survival. Weight loss has been reported as a side effect of chemotherapy treatment in cancer. Weight changes may be the consequence of energy imbalance and disturbances in protein metabolism (through different factors linked with chemotherapy), such as reduced caloric and protein intake (partly related to depression), poor treatment tolerance, hormonal alterations, systemic inflammation etc. This results in body composition modifications in favor of fat gain and/or lean body mass loss in early stage cancer and loss of both fat mass and lean mass in advanced cancer. Depletion of lean tissue in cancer patients is related to short survival, and decreased skeletal muscle mass and function may result in fatigue and inactivity, which contributes to fat mass changes and can be responsible for chemo-toxicity and increased mortality. Gains in muscle mass are difficult to achieve in cancer unless specific metabolic abnormalities are targeted. Recently, the investigators observed that essential amino acid mixtures (EAA) are able to induce protein anabolism in patients with stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer. Previous experimental research and clinical studies in cachectic conditions (including cancer) indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are able to attenuate protein degradation by improving the anabolic response to feeding and by decreasing the acute phase response. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) has been shown to effectively inhibit weight loss in several disease states; however, weight and muscle mass gain was not present or minimal. Recent studies examining the effect of fish oil supplementation in relation to chemotherapy have been inconclusive but found potential beneficial effects on physical performance and increased efficacy of first-line chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. It is the investigators' hypothesis that supplementation with milk protein (containing essential amino acids) carbohydrate (CHO) mixture in combination with fish oil supplementation will target the metabolic alterations in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, attenuating the negative effects of chemotherapy on gut function, muscle mass and muscle function, and cognition; and leading to reduced toxicity from chemotherapy.
As individuals age, their physical activity decreases and sedentary time increases. Even small changes in these two behaviors can greatly decrease risks for several major health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many cancers. Studies that use pedometers to encourage walking have successfully increased physical activity, but do not address sedentary behaviors such as television watching. The investigators propose to use a novel pedometer-like device (Jawbone Up) that encourages both increased physical activity and decreased sedentary time. First, the investigators will recruit 10 adults to participate in a brief intervention for six weeks. They will wear the wrist-based activity monitor and use a mini-tablet device to see feedback on their activity and sedentary time. They will also receive brief counseling weekly. The investigators will use this first study to investigate the basic feasibility of the intervention materials. Next, the investigators will recruit 20 adults and randomize them to receive the intervention for 12 weeks or to a waiting list. Here, the investigators will test the intervention with refinements made based on participant responses from the first small study. Our primary outcomes will be measures of feasibility and acceptability across all parts of the study. The investigators hypothesize that the intervention will be feasible and acceptable to the participants. The investigators will also measure physical activity, sedentary behavior, fitness, body fat, and psychological feelings of motivation.