Active clinical trials for "Breast Neoplasms"

This is a multicenter translational study to understand therapeutic resistance in patients undergoing standard chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancer. In the neoadjuvant setting, biopsy tissue samples from primary tumor will be collected and banked before the start of chemotherapy and after the completion of the treatment (post-chemotherapy and at the time of surgery). In the metastatic setting, tissue samples from metastatic lesions will be collected and banked before the start of chemotherapy and at the time of tumor progression. Additionally, blood samples will be drawn before treatment initiation (baseline) and at different time points during treatment. All samples will be stored in the Biological Resource Repository.

More than two million American women are breast cancer survivors. Approximately one-third of these women are premenopausal at diagnosis and face issues related to reproduction as they undergo cancer treatment. Ovarian function after breast cancer diagnosis has implications on breast cancer prognosis, choice of adjuvant therapy and reproductive issues such as desire for fertility or concerns about menopause. Therefore, tools to accurately predict ovarian function in breast cancer survivors could significantly impact physicians and patients in counseling, medical and surgical treatment choices, and consideration of fertility preservation options. The goal of this proposal is to identify pre-chemotherapy hormonal, genetic and ovarian imaging markers that can predict ovarian failure and characterize the course of ovarian function after chemotherapy. The investigators plan to follow a group of young women from breast cancer diagnosis to five years after chemotherapy. The investigators will study the following risk factors: blood hormone levels that reflect ovarian function, genetic mutations that affect how individuals metabolize chemotherapy, and ovarian size and egg count by MRI and ultrasound. The investigators hypothesize that these biomarkers are related to risk of ovarian insufficiency singly. After examining these individual risk factors for ovarian failure, the investigators will put them together into an Ovarian Failure Clinical Predictive Index. This index will be a tool similar to the Gail Model that can be used to determine individual risk for ovarian failure. This tool would assist young breast cancer patients and their physicians in making treatment decisions that would impact cancer survival and reproduction.

The study will investigate the impact of cancer-related stress and its consequences (acute and posttraumatic stress symptoms, altered cortisol secretion) on cognitive function in breast cancer patients. The hypothesis that stress associated with the cancer diagnosis and the cancer treatment is a major cause of cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer patients shall be evaluated.

This study will assess safety and ergonomics/engineering design of a novel cancer treatment, Continuous Low Irradiance Photodynamic therapy (CLIPT). We will assess the effects on primary and metastatic tumors involving the skin, in particular to improve the functionality, efficiency and wearability of the light delivery device (LDD) as well as the overall treatment in subjects with chest wall recurrences of breast cancer. An ongoing study (IRB# 8227), sponsored by a Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation grant, using a 1st generation LDD device has evaluated and determined a dose-limiting toxicity of CLIPT for subjects with chest wall recurrences of breast cancer. A Diomed laser will be the device used in this study. The Diomed laser will deliver 630 nm (red spectrum) light through a Fiber Optic Patch. The Fiber Optic patch will be compatible with the laser, delivering light to a designated region on the patient's skin.

The IBSR (Inquiry-based stress reduction) intervention, developed by Byron Katie (www.thework.com), trains subjects to reduce their perceived level of stress by self-inquiry of their thoughts and beliefs connected to stressful circumstances or symptoms. This meditative process, named "The Work", enables the participants to identify and question the stressful thoughts that cause their suffering. The core of IBSR is simply four questions and a turnaround, which is a way of experiencing the opposite of what the participant believes. This process is simple, powerful and can be easily implemented in daily life. Therefore, on the basis of previous data and beneficial observations the investigators postulate that the clinical utility of IBSR mediation program may improve psychological and physical symptoms and quality of life among BC patients during the survivorship period. Thus, we will conduct a pilot/feasibility randomized controlled clinical trial designed to Assess feasibility of a IBSR intervention by examining attendance, drop-out rates, and program satisfaction. Determine whether IBSR intervention compared with usual care is efficacious in improving quality of life, psychological and physical status in BC survivors.

Title of study: An observational, multicenter study on the safety and efficacy of Femara® (Letrozole) as an extended adjuvant treatment in breast cancer patients who completed adjuvant Tamoxifen or Toremifen treatment Objectives: The major objective of the study is to assess safety and efficacy of Femara® in women who had undergone resection of a primary breast cancer and subsequently received prior adjuvant tamoxifen or toremifen therapy for 5 years in real-life condition. The study aims at the following objectives: To identify unknown adverse reactions, especially serious adverse reactions To evaluate incidence and descriptions of adverse reactions under the routine drug use To identify factors that may affect the safety of Femara® To identify factors that may affect the efficacy of Femara® Methodology: This will be an open-label, multi-center, single-arm, observational phase IV study. Number of centers & patients: Approximately 610 (planned No. of patients for total study period) patients from 4 centers will be enrolled in this study. Population: Postmenopausal early breast cancer patients who have finished adjuvant treatment with Tamoxifen or Toremifen for 5 years after curative surgery as "indications" described in local product labeling. Investigational drug: Femara® will be administered orally as described in "dose & administration" of local product labeling up to 3 years. Study duration: FPFV May. 2006, LPFV Dec. 2011. Study drug will be administered for up to 3 years with renewal of contract on yearly basis.

The goal of the study is to understand the meaning of progression-free survival for women with metastatic breast cancer and to use this understanding to create and distribute a new questionnaire to assess the effect progression has on a woman's functioning and well-being.

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in women. Although big advance in diagnostics and treatment of early and breast cancer has been made in recent years breast cancer still has a significant mortality rate. A number of treatment modalities exist for postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. The treatment modality is chosen based on patient and tumour characteristics. Hormonal treatment is preferred and recommended in women with hormone sensitive breast cancer (ESMO, CECOG and NCCN guidelines). Tumor markers are an established method of monitoring systemic therapies in various cancers. Tumor markers CA 15-3 and CEA are used in clinical practice to monitor treatment efficacy of metastatic breast cancer. Blood levels of tumor markers are widely used to assess response/progression to treatment and guide therapy change. Treatment efficacy is assessed by imaging methods in clinical studies. Change of therapy in clinical study is usually done when progression based on RECIST criteria is found. Hormonal treatment has slower onset of effect compared with chemotherapy that can last several weeks. Also when a new therapy is started spurious early rises may occur. Therefore rising levels of tumor markers during the first weeks of new hormonal therapy are not necessarily sign of progression and should not be the only guidance for treatment change. Evidence of treatment efficacy form clinical studies and treatment change is based on imaging techniques.

The investigators are hypothesizing that decreasing estrogen levels will cause serum DKK1 to peak, then decrease gradually as estrogens reach a new lower, but steady level. The investigators also believe that the peak in DKK1 will initiated a wave of stem cell diversion from the osteoblastogenic pathway to the adipogenic pathway. The investigators will conduct a longitudinal cohort study of post menopausal women with hormone-responsive breast cancer that will be treated AIs. The study will observe anthromorphic and serum marker changes during the first year of their treatment.

Evaluation of beauty care in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer