Active clinical trials for "Bone Marrow Diseases"

This study will examine whether cytokine gene polymorphisms affect the progression or response to therapy of bone marrow failure disorders. Cytokine genes instruct cells to produce proteins called cytokines that influence immune system response. As with many genes, the cytokine genes differ slightly from person to person. These differences are called gene polymorphisms. Different patients with the same bone marrow failure disease often progress and respond to treatment differently. This study will look at the possible role of cytokine gene polymorphisms in these differences. Patients between 2 and 80 years old who have participated in an NHLBI Hematology Branch treatment protocol for acquired aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or pure red cell aplasia are recruited to participate in this study. Blood collected and stored at the time of screening for the treatment protocol will be tested for cytokine gene polymorphisms. No additional tests, procedures, or treatments are involved in this study.

There is no difference in surgical outcomes for patients suffering from cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated with anterior decompression and fusion or posterior cervical laminoplasty.

In degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) the dynamics of disease progression and the outcome after surgical decompression vary inter individually and do not necessarily correlate with radiological findings. By better characterization of the underlying pathophysiology this study aims to improve diagnostic power in DCM using Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS).

Mortality due to non small cell lung cancers is the first cause of cancer death in men around the world. Lung adenocarcinoma regularly induces bone metastases responsible for high morbidity and impaired life quality. Overall survival of these patients is poor. Thus the investigators aimed to identify if some bone and metabolic parameters were associated with overall survival. Patients and Methods POUMOS is a prospective cohort of patients suffering from adenocarcinoma lung cancers with a first bone metastasis (stage IV). All patients have a bone biopsy with molecular status characterization of the tumor for EGFR, KRAS, BRAF and ALK. Bone metastasis localizations are obtained by bone scintigraphy or FDG-PET/CT. Whole body composition is obtained by DEXA scan (Hologic®). The investigators assessed also fasting blood levels of bone and metabolic biomarkers. Survival analyses will be performed using a proportional hazard regression model.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most frequent cause of myelopathy in those over the age of 50. They claim that surgical treatment of myelopathy, especially of the mild and moderate forms, has not shown better results than conservative treatment in the long term, and criteria for the indication and the timing of the operation have not been established. In order to get some more reliable data, a long-term follow up observational study will be started to confirm the effects of long term for conservative treatment.

Utilization of T2* MRI in predicting prognosis in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM)

DESIGN: Ambispective cohort study (retrospective + prospective). AIMS: The overall aim of this research study is to create two predictive machine learning models that are based on radiological, clinical and biochemical variables, which allows spine surgeons to diagnose CSM earlier and more accurately, as well as allowing them to give patients highly individualised and accurate predictive information regarding treatment outcomes. OUTCOME MEASURES: For the prospective arm of the study the independent variables will be patient characteristics, clinical, radiological and biochemical markers. Dependent variables are mJOA and JOACMEQ scores. For the retrospective arm of the study the independent variables will be patient characteristics, co-morbidities and symptomology, outcome variable will be radiological confirmation on cervical myelopathy. POPULATION: Patients with cervical myelopathy over 18 years old (19 years and above included), treated at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust for CM with full capacity to consent and assessed for cervical myelopathy symptoms at Community MSK Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (catchment area of ICHT neurosurgery). ELIGIBILITY: Over 18 years old, with full capacity to consent. TREATMENT: Cervical myelopathy diagnosis and/or conservative and/or surgical management of disease DURATION: 18 months

Rationale: Bone metastases arise in 50% of all patients dying from carcinoma, increasing up to 70% in patients with breast and prostate cancer. The lesions can cause pain and fractures, leading to diminished quality of life and poorer survival. Current knowledge concerning adequate, personalized treatment of metastatic lesions of the long bones in patients with disseminated cancer is insufficient and inconclusive due to lack of large, prospective series with patient reported outcome measures. Objective: The OPTIMAL cohort aims to describe the quality of life and pain perception of patients after local treatment (radiotherapy and/or surgery) of metastases of the long bones, for both the entire cohort as well as for specific treatments separately. With this a more personalized treatment for metastases in the long bones based on expected survival and impending fracture risk can be provided in order to improve functioning and the quality of life for the remaining lifetime in patients with disseminated cancer. Study design: Observational, prospective, multicentre cohort study. Study population: All patients with metastases of the long bones visiting a radiation oncologist or orthopaedic surgeon. Main study parameters/endpoints: Primary endpoints are patient reported quality of life (including functioning) and pain levels. Complications and survival are secondary endpoints. Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: Patients in the OPTIMAL cohort will perhaps not directly benefit from their participation. Participation will contribute to deriving patient-specific treatment modalities for future patients with bone metastases of the long bones. Risks associated with participation in the prospective cohort are considered negligible due to the observational nature of the study. The burden for the patients lies in completion of questionnaires, which is considered to be in proportion with the potential value of this research.

Bone radioiodine (RAI) uptake without structural abnormality in thyroid cancer (TC) patients may be related to false positive or to microscopic foci of metastatic tissue. In such cases, outcome is reported to be excellent. Indeed, Robenshtok et al. reported a serie of patients with RAI-avid bone metastases of TC without structural abnormality on imaging studies who have more favorable long-term prognosis than those harbouring structurally visible bone metastases and do not undergo skeletal-related complications. The investigators report the case of Mrs D., who had been operated for a pathologic tumor stage 3: pT3(m) poorly differentiated TC at the age of 43. The first post-therapeutic whole body scan revealed 3 foci of bone uptake (right clavicle, L2, L3). The elevated level of thyroglobulin (157ng/mL) favoured the hypothesis of bone metastases despite the absence of any structural lesion on CT and MRI. She received 7 courses of radioiodine therapy. The right clavicle RAI uptake persisted, and subsequent CT disclosed an osteolytic lesion which was treated by radiofrequency and external beam radiation. Twenty-five years after the diagnosis, she has a persistent morphological disease with a 30x8mm progressive lesion on the right clavicle, for which surgery is planned. The aim of the present study is to describe the natural history and evolution of radioiodine avid bone metastases from thyroid cancer without structural abnormalities and to identify prognosis factors.

The study will consist of two parts: In Study A, objectively assessed physical activity, gait, balance, range of movement of specific joints during walking and neurophysiological findings between patients with cervical spine stenosis (CSS) without myelopathy who will be treated conservatively and patients with stenosis and signs of myelopathy who are candidates for surgical Treatment will be compared. In Study B, the 6-month changes in the same outcomes in patients treated conservatively (from the first specialist consultation until 6 months later) and in patients treated surgically (preoperative day and 6-month post-operatively) will be quantified.