Best Practice

This phase III trial compares the effect of high dose chemotherapy and the patients' own (autologous) stem cells to observation only in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma who achieved a complete response after initial chemotherapy. Usual treatment after a complete response may include observation or high dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant, however, it is not known if a transplant if beneficial. Giving chemotherapy before a stem cell transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. Stem cells removed prior to treatment are then returned to the patient to replace the blood forming cells that were destroyed by the chemotherapy. Giving high dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant may be more effective compared to observation only in treating patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma who have achieved a complete response after initial chemotherapy.

This phase III trial compares the effect of giving triptorelin vs no triptorelin in preventing ovarian damage in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer receiving chemotherapy with an alkylating agents. Alkylating agents are part of standard chemotherapy, but may cause damage to the ovaries. If the ovaries are not working well or completely shut down, then it will be difficult or impossible to get pregnant in the future. Triptorelin works by blocking certain hormones and causing the ovaries to slow down or pause normal activity. The triptorelin used in this study stays active in the body for 24 weeks or about 6 months after a dose is given. After triptorelin is cleared from the body, the ovaries resume normal activities. Adding triptorelin before the start of chemotherapy treatment may reduce the chances of damage to the ovaries.

This phase III trial studies how well active surveillance help doctors to monitor subjects with low risk germ cell tumors for recurrence after their tumor is removed. When the germ cell tumor has spread outside of the organ in which it developed, it is considered metastatic. Chemotherapy drugs, such as bleomycin, carboplatin, etoposide, and cisplatin, 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. The trial studies whether carboplatin or cisplatin is the preferred chemotherapy to use in treating metastatic standard risk germ cell tumors.

This clinical trial studies whether cooling the mouth with popsicles (oral cryotherapy) decreases taste changes in prostate cancer patients receiving taxane chemotherapy. Patients receiving chemotherapy can experience a variety of side effects. Changes in the taste of food is a frequent complaint of patients receiving chemotherapy and is underreported as patients may think that it is unavoidable and not manageable. Taxane-based chemotherapy is thought to be associated with the most taste changes of any chemotherapy. Taste buds contain a specific type of cell, called gustatory cells, that are located on the surface of the tongue, the soft palate (back, muscular part of the roof of the mouth), and the upper part of the esophagus. These cells consist of five basic tastes: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami (or savory). Oral cryotherapy involves cooling the mouth with ice chips, popsicles, or other cold drinks for several minutes before, during, and after chemotherapy causing the tiny blood vessels in the protective linings inside the mouth to narrow. It is thought that this narrowing will reduce blood flow to the cooled areas, thereby decreasing the amount of chemotherapy that is delivered to the fragile protective linings inside the mouth that causes the taste changes. This may be an effective way to decrease taste changes in prostate cancer patients receiving taxane chemotherapy.

This trial studies the role of the gut microbiome and effectiveness of a fecal transplant on medication-induced gastrointestinal (GI) complications in patients with melanoma or genitourinary cancer. The gut microbiome (the bacteria and microorganisms that live in the digestive system) may affect whether or not someone develops colitis (inflammation of the intestines) during cancer treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Studying samples of stool, blood, and tissue from patients with melanoma or genitourinary cancer may help doctors learn more about the effects of treatment on cells, and help doctors understand how well patients respond to treatment. Treatment with fecal transplantation may help to improve diarrhea and colitis symptoms.

This phase III trial compares the effect of xylitol dental wipes to dental wipes without xylitol for the reduction of bloodstream infection in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar compound found in fruits and vegetables. Xylitol has been shown to limit the growth of bacteria in the mouth, and to reduce cavities, plaque on the teeth, and inflammation of the gums. Treatment for AML includes chemotherapy. Patients receiving chemotherapy for AML have a risk of developing bloodstream infections. Bloodstream infections can make patients very sick, can contribute to delays in treatment, and can even cause death. In AML patients, bacteria or fungus (yeast) can sometimes enter the bloodstream from the mouth. Using xylitol dental wipes may help to reduce bloodstream infections in children being treated for AML.

This clinical trial tests how well a geriatric assessment (GA) with GA-directed treatment recommendations, compared to GA with usual care, works in identifying risk factors, reducing chemotherapy radiation toxicity and functional decline, and improving the overall quality of life in older patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Older patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy are at an increased risk of adverse outcomes including treatment toxicity and functional and physical consequences. This makes it very challenging for the physicians to balance the benefits against the risk of chemotherapy in older cancer patients. A geriatric assessment may be useful in identifying risk factors for chemotherapy radiation toxicity. Communicating these geriatric assessment findings and assessment-based recommendations to a patient's treating physicians may help them make more informed decisions about treatment options for patients. Making treatment decisions using GA-based recommendations may reduce adverse events and improve outcomes in patients receiving treatment for NSCLC.

This clinical trial compares how well a home-based personalized physical activity program (PAP) that is delivered by a digital application (app) (the ExerciseRx app) works compared to health education in improving physical activity for patients with bladder cancer that has not reached the muscle wall of the bladder (non-muscle invasive). For people who are not physically active, previous studies have shown that increasing step counts can reduce incidence of death, reduce frailty, and reduce healthcare costs. The ExerciseRx app tracks adherence to home exercise, adapts step count goals based on the patient's progress, and provides encouraging feedback and motivation from the healthcare team. Additional features include activity summaries, progress towards current goal, nudges, helpful facts about the benefits of activity, and ideas for how to incorporate daily movement. A home-based PAP using the ExerciseRx app may work better in increasing physical activity among patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer compared to a health education only group.

This MyeloMATCH Master Screening and Reassessment Protocol (MSRP) evaluates the use of a screening tool and specific laboratory tests to help improve participants' ability to register to clinical trials throughout the course of their myeloid cancer (acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome) treatment. This study involves testing patients' bone marrow and blood for certain biomarkers. A biomarker (sometimes called a marker) is any molecule in the body that can be measured. Doctors look at markers to learn what is happening in the body. Knowing about certain markers can give doctors more information about what is driving the cancer and how to treat it. Testing patients' bone marrow and blood will show doctors if patients have markers that specific drugs can target. The marker testing in this study will let doctors know if they can match patients with a treatment study (myeloMATCH clinical trial) that tests treatment for the type of cancer they have or continue standard of care treatment with their doctor on the Tier Advancement Pathway (TAP).

This clinical trial studies how well fluorine F 18 fluorthanatrace (\[18F\]FTT) positron emission tomography (PET) works in imaging patients with breast cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) who are receiving standard of care (SOC) poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors with or without immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to be able to detect clinical response to PARP inhibitor ± ICI treatment. \[18F\]FTT is a radiotracer that targets and binds to PARP1 which can potentially be used for the imaging of PARP1 expression using PET. Once administered, \[18F\]FTT targets and binds to PARP1. Upon PET, PARP1-expressing tumor cells can be visualized. PET is an established imaging technique that utilizes small amounts of radioactivity attached to very minimal amounts of tracer, in the case, \[18F\]FTT. Because some cancers take up \[18F\]FTT it can be seen with PET. PARP inhibitors work as a targeted therapy by blocking an enzyme involved in repairing cell damage. It may cause tumor cells to die. ICI may help the body's immune system attack the cancer and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Combining \[18F\]FTT with a PET scan may help detect tumor cells better in patients with metastatic breast cancer who are receiving standard of care PARP inhibitors with our without ICI treatment.

This study compares the experiences of people who receive information about genetic testing from a computer-generated character to patients who receive information from a human genetics healthcare provider. Patients with cancer are increasingly recommended for genetic testing as standard of care. Multiple factors contribute to low usage of genetic testing but for many patients the lack of access to genetic counseling and testing is an important and flexible factor. Lack of access is especially relevant to racial/ethnic minority patients and those living in non-metropolitan rural settings who are frequently cared for at safety-net hospitals with limited genetics services. Alternative delivery models are necessary to improve rates of access to genetic testing in patients with cancer. Health information technology is under used by genetics providers. A patient-facing relational agent (PERLA) will provide pre-test genetics education in both English and Spanish across two clinical settings to facilitate more timely access to genetic testing. Using the PERLA intervention may help researchers learn different ways to provide education about genetic testing to patients with cancer compared to usual care.