Volume Modulated Arc Therapy

This phase III trial tests two questions by two separate comparisons of therapies. The first question is whether enhanced therapy (apalutamide in combination with abiraterone + prednisone) added to standard of care (prostate radiation therapy and short term androgen deprivation) is more effective compared to standard of care alone in patients with prostate cancer who experience biochemical recurrence (a rise in the blood level of prostate specific antigen \[PSA\] after surgical removal of the prostate cancer). A second question tests treatment in patients with biochemical recurrence who show prostate cancer spreading outside the pelvis (metastasis) by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. In these patients, the benefit of adding metastasis-directed radiation to enhanced therapy (apalutamide in combination with abiraterone + prednisone) is tested. Diagnostic procedures, such as PET, may help doctors look for cancer that has spread to the pelvis. Androgens are hormones that may cause the growth of prostate cancer cells. Apalutamide may help fight prostate cancer by blocking the use of androgens by the tumor cells. Metastasis-directed targeted radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors that have spread. This trial may help doctors determine if using PET results to deliver more tailored treatment (i.e., adding apalutamide, with or without targeted radiation therapy, to standard of care treatment) works better than standard of care treatment alone in patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer.

This pilot feasibility clinical trial is evaluating a novel treatment strategy for patients with advanced bladder cancer that is unresectable, has spread to nearby lymph nodes or a limited number of distant sites (oligometastatic disease), and has responded to initial treatment with enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab. Although this combination has significantly improved outcomes compared to traditional chemotherapy, many patients are left with residual cancer in the bladder or other sites, and there is currently no established standard approach for managing this remaining disease or determining the optimal duration of systemic therapy. Prolonged treatment can lead to cumulative side effects and negatively impact quality of life. This study investigates whether adding consolidative treatment-such as radiation therapy to the bladder and metastatic sites or surgical removal of the bladder (radical cystectomy)-can safely eliminate residual disease and delay cancer progression. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to precisely target and destroy cancer cells while minimizing exposure to surrounding normal tissues. In selected patients, surgery may be used to remove remaining tumor in the bladder. Targeted radiation techniques, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), may also be used to treat small metastatic sites. This approach may allow for safe discontinuation of systemic therapy, potentially reducing long-term treatment-related side effects. A key component of this trial is the integration of biomarker testing using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from blood and urine tumor DNA (utDNA). These tests detect small amounts of tumor-derived genetic material and may help identify patients most likely to benefit from consolidative treatment, as well as guide decisions about ongoing therapy. By combining response to systemic therapy with personalized local treatment and biomarker-driven monitoring, this study aims to improve cancer control, reduce complications from untreated local disease, and inform future treatment strategies for patients with advanced bladder cancer.

This phase III trial compares the effect of vorasidenib to placebo in combination with usual treatment, temozolomide, in treating patients with newly diagnosed grade 3 astrocytoma after radiation. Temozolomide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid and may kill tumor cells and slow down or stop tumor growth. Vorasidenib citrate blocks the proteins made by the mutated IDH1 and IDH2 genes, which may help keep tumor cells from growing. It is a type of enzyme inhibitor and a type of targeted therapy. Adding vorasidenib to the usual treatment, temozolomide, may be more effective than temozolomide alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed grade 3 astrocytoma after radiation therapy.

This phase II clinical trial studies how well craniospinal irradiation (CSI) with hippocampal avoidance, using proton therapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), works in treating patients with breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and meninges (thin layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord) (leptomeningeal metastases). Radiation therapy is an effective treatment in relieving localized symptoms caused by leptomeningeal metastases. However, the type of radiation therapy typically used does not prevent the spread of leptomeningeal disease. CSI (radiation therapy directed at the brain and spinal cord to kill tumor cells) may be able to target all of the areas of possible leptomeningeal tumor spread. CSI may however result in significant neurological side effects due to radiation damage to a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Hippocampal avoidance (HA) reduces the amount of radiation to the hippocampus. Proton or VMAT CSI with HA may be an effective treatment while reducing neurological side effects for patients with leptomeningeal metastases from breast cancer and NSCLC.

This phase II trial tests how well craniospinal irradiation (CSI) using photon volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) works in treating patients with breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to the cerebrospinal fluid and meninges (thin layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord) (leptomeningeal disease). Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. CSI (radiation therapy directed at the brain and spinal cord to kill tumor cells) may be able to target all of the areas of possible leptomeningeal tumor spread. Photon-VMAT-CSI may be an effective treatment option for patients with leptomeningeal disease secondary to breast cancer or NSCLC.