Brain Tumor Program

Below are current clinical trials.

Filter this list of studies by location, status and more.

1. A Study to Evaluate the Surgical Removal of Residual Brain Tumors Prior to Recurrence

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of surgical resection for pre-recurrent brain tumors. Eligible patients with surgically accessible latent tumors desiring surgical resection will be enrolled to prospectively track short- and long-term outcomes. Safety will be evaluated by quantifying rates of surgical morbidity as compared to patients undergoing RT after surgery, or no surgery for similar latent disease. Variables evaluated will include postoperative complications including death within 30 days, wound infection, length of hospital stay, and readmission rates.

    

    

2. A Study to Determine the Best Individualized Cancer Therapy Using Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Patients with GI, CNS, and Thoracic Cancers.

   Jacksonville, Fla.

   This study proposes to develop and maintain a biorepository of blood samples collected from patients receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer, locally advanced pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, or cervical cancer. The ultimate goal of this biorepository will be to provide the resource to initiate an exploration of ctDNA as a potential liquid biopsy for GI and Thoracic malignancy detection and surveillance.

3. Ommaya Placement for Biomarker Collection

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and feasibility of intra-operative Ommaya Reservoir placement during a clinically indicated tumor surgery in order to facilitate a longitudinal access to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for analysis of exploratory and future tumor biomarkers for individualized monitoring.

    

    

4. A Study to Compare Optimal MRI Timing for Pre-surgical Planning to LINAC-based Therapy

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this research is to compare two different standard-of-care pre-surgical imaging methods. 

5. A Study to Evaluate Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery and Pituitary Surgery Quality of Life

   Rochester, Minn.

   The objectives of this study are to:

   • • Measure the short and long-term overall and nasal-specific quality of life (QOL) impact of patients undergoing Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery (EESBS) for pituitary and sellar lesions.
     • Determine the relative difference in QOL impact of EESBS for patients undergoing surgery for functional and nonfunctional pituitary adenomas.
     • Generate baseline data to development and validate a site-specific endoscopic-specific comprehensive QOL for EESBS.
     • Particular tumors of interest include pituitary tumors, Rathke’s cleft cysts, craniopharyngiomas, clival chordomas and chondrosarcomas.
     • Specific QOL aims focus on olfaction (sense of smell), gustation (sense of taste) and nasal function.

    

    

6. A Study to Analyze NMS-03305293 and Temozolomide in Adult Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma

   Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The objectives of this study are to determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) and the Recommended Phase 2 Dose (RP2D) of NMS-03305293 in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with diffuse gliomas at first relapse (Phase I),  and to determine the antitumor effectiveness of the combination of NMS-03305293 and TMZ in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild type glioblastoma at first relapse as measured by the 6-month Progression Free Survival (PFS) rate (Phase II).

7. A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Anti-tumor Activity of WSD0922-FU

   Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., Jacksonville, Fla., Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of WSD0922-FU in subjects with recurrent glioblastoma, IDH wildtype (GBM), anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH wildtype (AA) and CNS metastases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

8. Effect of Agent Orange Exposure on Endocrine Tumor Aggressiveness

   Jacksonville, Fla., Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.

   The intent is to collect relevant clinical data on patients exposed to Agent Orange plus assessment of the tissue for genetic mutations known to be associated with growth of thyroid cancer and pituitary tumors and report our findings as a descriptive case series.

9. Efineptakin alfa (NT-I7) Plus Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Recurrent Glioblastoma

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to determine the response rate to the combination of pembrolizumab and NT-I7 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

10. A Study of the Drugs Selumetinib Versus Carboplatin/Vincristine in Patients With Neurofibromatosis and Low-Grade Glioma

    Rochester, Minn.

    The pupose of this study is to evaluate whether or not selumetinib works just as well as the standard treatment with carboplatine/vincristine (CV) for subjects with NF1-associated low grade glioma (LGG), and to see if selumetinib is better than CV in improving vision in subjects with LGG of the optic pathway (vision nerves). Selumetinib is a drug that works by blocking some enzymes that low grade glioma tumor cells need for their growth. This results in killing tumor cells. Drugs used as chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and vincristine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether selumetinib works better in treating patients with NF1-associated low-grade glioma compared to standard therapy with carboplatin and vincristine.