Active clinical trials for "Breast Neoplasms"

The goal of this laboratory research study is to identify possible differences in a gene among patients with breast cancer that cannot be treated by surgery. Researchers want to find out if differences in this gene may increase the risk of side effects from capecitabine.

Patients with metastatic or locally recurrent triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are scheduled for medically indicated surgical biopsy or resection of disease will be identified. Fresh/frozen tissue will be collected and will undergo comprehensive molecular evaluation with NextGen sequencing. TGEN's clonal genomics analyses will be applied in the analysis to identify and prioritize the mutated targets. Therapeutic options, based on the genetic profile of each patient's tumor, will be discussed and an appropriate molecularly-selected agent will be recommended by the Study Investigator(s) (SI) and treating oncologist as treatment for the patient. This is an open-label, pilot trial. Patients with metastatic or locally recurrent TNBC who are scheduled for medically indicated surgical biopsy or resection will be enrolled and therapeutic options, based on the genetic profile of each patient's tumor, will be discussed with the patient. Time-to-progression (TTP) for these patients following the selected therapy is the primary objective and will be compared to the TTP(s) for their most recent prior therapy. A 30% increase in TTP with the molecularly-targeted agent compared with the TTP on the immediate prior therapy will be considered as evidence of clinical benefit from the selected therapy. The secondary endpoints are best response to the molecularly-selected therapy, overall survival (OS) and genetic mutation evaluation in metastatic (or locally recurrent) TNBC. The study is designed to demonstrate that the collection and analysis of these tumor samples is feasible.

To develop a system to manage side effects and adjust chemotherapy dose such that a patient can receive their personal maximum tolerated dose.

The purpose of this study is to determine if PEM scan can improve axillary lymph node staging by assessing if they are involved by cancer. Your doctor may refer you for a PEM scan, PEM stands for positron emission mammography, a relatively new and advanced application of positron emission tomography or PET scanning. For decades, PET has helped doctors diagnose and treat disease.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Studying samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients may help doctors understand how well these drugs can be carried to the brain. PURPOSE: More definitive knowledge of the penetration of chemotherapeutic and other agents into the brain is necessary for the future rational design of drug and drug regimens that target brain metastases. This clinical trial is studying how well capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, lapatinib, paclitaxel, trastuzumab, or vinorelbine penetrates brain tumors.

The overall goal of this proposal is to improve the post-treatment care of breast cancer survivors and to understand the barriers to optimal post-treatment care in Latina and Non-Hispanic women.

Background: Resistance to cancer chemotherapy develops in patients, rendering certain treatments ineffective. Despite much research, the prevailing cause of drug resistance is not known. One mechanism for drug resistance involves a protein called P-glycoprotein, or Pgp, which reduces the effectiveness of cancer treatments by "pumping" anti-cancer drugs out of tumor cells where they are supposed to work against the disease. Objectives: To identify and evaluate more thoroughly the roles of Pgp and other substances in mediating drug resistance. Eligibility: Patients enrolled in clinical trials of cancer therapies at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; Cancer Centers of Carolinas; Arizona Clinical Research Center; University of Copenhagen; and Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen who have consented to the use of blood, tissue, or tumor samples for laboratory studies. Design: Blood, tumor, and tissue samples are collected from participants and sent to the NCI for various laboratory analyses. ...

The purpose of this study is to determine if dedicated breast computed tomography can be used successfully to monitor tumor response in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of urine and blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer. PURPOSE: This study is looking at urine and blood samples in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Mammographic density is sensitive to estorgen exposure and constitutes a strong intermediate maker of breast cancer risk. We hypothesize that women with higher serum xenoestrogen levels will have greater mammographic density.