Vanderbilt Clinical Trials

This is an observational case-control study to train and validate a genome-wide methylome enrichment platform to detect multiple cancer types and to differentiate amongst cancer types. The cancers included in this study are brain, breast, bladder, cervical, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, gastric, head and neck, hepatobiliary, leukemia, lung, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, renal, sarcoma, and thyroid. These cancers were selected based on their prevalence and mortality to maximize impact on clinical care. Additionally, the ability of the whole-genome methylome enrichment platform to detect minimal residual disease after completion of cancer treatment and to detect relapse prior to clinical presentation will be evaluated in four cancer types (breast, colorectal, lung, prostate). These cancers were selected based on the existing clinical landscape and treatment availability.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 2022

open study

This phase II/III trial studies how well sentinel lymph node biopsy works and compares sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery to standard neck dissection as part of the treatment for early-stage oral cavity cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery is a procedure that removes a smaller number of lymph nodes from your neck because it uses an imaging agent to see which lymph nodes are most likely to have cancer. Standard neck dissection, such as elective neck dissection, removes many of the lymph nodes in your neck. Using sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery may work better in treating patients with early-stage oral cavity cancer compared to standard elective neck dissection.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2020

open study

The investigators are interested in studying why experienced clinicians make specific decisions regarding the monitoring of patients' physiological states and why clinicians might make decisions that are contrary to current best practices or known evidence. More generally, the program objective is to refine and validate a novel methodology to delineate clinicians' decision-making strategies. More specifically, the investigators will study the decision to reverse neuromuscular blockade at the end of an anesthetic. This clinical decision will be studied in this project because: 1) it has been well documented that a substantial percentage of practitioners do not follow best practices; 2) the variables are relatively circumscribed and well described; and 3) it can be framed as a binary decision. The investigators propose to conduct an observational mixed-methods study developing and using clinical vignettes and cognitive interviews to better understand the decision-making approaches and preferences of clinically active anesthesia providers with regard to their decision-making during clinical anesthesia cases. After developing clinical vignettes and related questions, the investigators will first obtain detailed demographic and clinical practice variables from the participants via a survey. Participants will then review multiple vignettes that present different clinical situations that focus on decisions to reverse neuromuscular blockade and/or extubate the patient. Each participant will provide their decisions for each vignette. The investigators will then conduct an audiotaped interview, using cognitive task analysis methods, to ascertain the factors that played a role in these decisions.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

This phase I trial evaluates the safety and effectiveness of using two imaging techniques, indium In 111 panitumumab (111In-panitumumab) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) and panitumumab-IRDye800 fluorescence imaging during surgery (intraoperative), to detect disease in patients with head and neck cancer. 111In-panitumumab is an imaging agent made of a monoclonal antibody that has been labeled with a radioactive molecule called indium In 111. The agent targets and binds to receptors on tumor cells. This allows the cells to be visualized and assessed with SPECT/CT imaging techniques. SPECT is special type of CT scan in which a small amount of a radioactive drug is injected into a vein and a scanner is used to make detailed images of areas inside the body where the radioactive material is taken up by the cells. CT is an imaging technique for examining structures within the body by scanning them with x-rays and using a computer to construct a series of cross-sectional scans along a single axis. Panitumumab-IRDye800 is an imaging agent composed of panitumumab, a monoclonal antibody, linked to a fluorescent dye called IRDye800. Upon administration, panitumumab-IRDye800 targets and binds to receptors on tumor cells. This allows the tumor cells to be detected using fluorescence imaging during surgery. Adding 111In-panitumumab SPECT/CT imaging to intraoperative panitumumab-IRDye800 fluorescence imaging may be more effective at detecting disease in patients with head and neck cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

Multi-center sequential multiple assignment randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of three different standard of care treatment options for patients with isolated skin vasculitis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2017

open study

Malignant pleural effusion remains a debilitating complication of end stage cancer, which can be greatly improved by the introduction of the indwelling tunneled pleural catheter (IPC). However, there is no standard of care regarding drainage and limited data on the utility of different drainage techniques. In addition, many patients develop discomfort and chest pain during drainage. The investigators propose to evaluate gravity drainage and suction drainage on quality of life measures and outcomes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2019

open study

This is a study evaluating the utility of current Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) diagnostic tests, including nasal nitric oxide testing.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2017

open study

This clinical trial studies low- dose total skin electron therapy in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA mycosis fungoides that has not responded to previous treatment (refractory) or has returned after a period of improvement (relapsed). Radiation therapy uses high energy electrons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Rotisserie technique is a method in which the patient receives total skin electron therapy while standing on a rotating platform. Giving low dose total skin electron therapy using rotisserie technique may kill tumor cells, while having fewer side effects, and may allow therapy to be repeated in future if clinically indicated.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 2016

open study

Moderate intensity titrated dose anticoagulation has been used in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to prevent thromboembolism and thrombotic mechanical complications. As technology has improved, however, the incidence of thromboembolic events has decreased, leading to re-evaluation of the risks of anticoagulation, particularly during venovenous (V-V) ECMO. Recent data suggest that bleeding complications during V-V ECMO may be more strongly associated with mortality than thromboembolic complications, and case series have suggested that V-V ECMO can be safely performed without moderate or high intensity anticoagulation. At present, there is significant variability between institutions in the approach to anticoagulation during V-V ECMO. A definitive randomized controlled trial is needed to compare the effects of a low intensity fixed dose anticoagulation (low intensity) versus moderate intensity titrated dose anticoagulation (moderate intensity) on clinical outcomes during V-V ECMO. Before such a trial can be conducted, however, additional data are needed to inform the feasibility of the future trial.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study

The investigators want to study if lower doses of chemotherapy will help babies with SCID to achieve good immunity with less short and long-term risks of complications after transplantation. This trial identifies babies with types of immune deficiencies that are most likely to succeed with this approach and offers them transplant early in life before they get severe infections or later if their infections are under control. It includes only patients receiving unrelated or mismatched related donor transplants. The study will test if patients receiving transplant using either a low dose busulfan or a medium dose busulfan will have immune recovery of both T and B cells, measured by the ability to respond to immunizations after transplant. The exact regimen depends on the subtype of SCID the patient has. Donors used for transplant must be unrelated or half-matched related (haploidentical) donors, and peripheral blood stem cells must be used. To minimize the chance of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the stem cells will have most, but not all, of the T cells removed, using a newer, experimental approach of a well-established technology. Once the stem cell transplant is completed, patients will be followed for 3 years. Approximately 9-18 months after the transplant, vaccinations will be administered, and a blood test measuring whether your child's body has responded to the vaccine will be collected.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2018

open study

The goal of this project is to address the urgent need for effective, scalable adult literacy interventions by integrating breakthroughs in two separate fields: 1.) the brain network science of resilience to reading disorders and 2.) high-definition non-invasive brain network stimulation. This study will first establish the efficacy of a novel, noninvasive stimulation protocol on reading behavior and brain metrics; then will determine how stimulation-induced effects interact with baseline reading comprehension ability; and lastly, will identify whether stimulation-induced effects are more clinically-beneficial than canonical behavioral interventions. Results may foundationally change how we treat low adult literacy, and have the potential for wider reaching impacts on non-invasive stimulation protocols for other clinical disorders.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The objective of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of RGN-259 to placebo for the treatment of Neurotrophic Keratopathy (NK)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2023

open study

Social impairments are core features of schizophrenia that lead to poor outcome. Social skills and competence improve quality of life and protect against stress-related exacerbation of symptoms, while supporting resilience, interpersonal interactions, and social affiliation. To improve outcome, it is necessary to remediate social deficits. Existing psychosocial interventions are moderately effective but the effort-intensive nature (high burden), low adherence, and weak transfer of skills to everyday life present significant hurdles toward recovery. Thus, there is a dire need to develop effective, engaging and low-burden social interventions for people with schizophrenia that will result in better compliance rates and functional outcome. In a previous pilot study, the investigators tested the effectiveness of a novel adaptive virtual reality (VR) intervention in improving targeted social cognitive function (social attention, as indexed by eye scanning patterns) in individuals with schizophrenia. 10 sessions of 1-hour VR intervention were sufficient to engage the target mechanism of social attention and improve negative symptoms. Acceptability and compliance were very high among the participants. ' The next phase, supported by a R33 grant will compare the VR social skills training with a control condition. This new protocol includes a control condition for the exposure to computerized training across the 10 sessions and incidental exposure to social interactions (i.e. interactions with experimenters twice a week for 5 weeks) by including a control condition, which involves computerized brain fitness training for 10 sessions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study