Active clinical trials for "Pancreatic Neoplasms"

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a preoperative exercise program in patients with pancreatic cancer preparing for surgery. Preoperative exercise programs have been shown to be effective in other cancer populations, but have not been investigated in patients with pancreatic cancer. The outcomes in this study will be changes in physical fitness, function, and postoperative outcomes. This investigation is a non-randomized control trial, with participants assigned to receive the preoperative exercise intervention in addition to standard care, or standard care alone if unable to commit to an exercise program for practical reasons. Possible mediators for the effects of exercise on postoperative outcomes will also be assessed, including psychological outcomes and markers of systemic inflammation. These measures will be assessed in all participants prior to program initiation, prior to surgery, and after surgery. Changes in these measures in response to exercise will be assessed, as well as the ability of the preoperative measures to predict postoperative outcomes.

This pilot clinical trial studies the use of integrin alpha-v-beta [18F]-R01-MG-F2 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) and Positron Emission Tomography-Magnetic Resonance Imaging in (PET/MRI) in measuring response in patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy volunteers. Integrins, such as integrin alpha-v-beta-6 (avb6), are a family of membrane receptors that are overexpressed on the cell surface of pancreatic cancers. [18F]-R01-MG-F2 targets avb6, which may improve early detection of and better stratify treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer.

The goal of this study is to increase and improve Goals of Care discussions for advanced cancer patients by training medical oncologists to conduct these discussions. The investigators will evaluate the GoC discussion's effects on patient satisfaction, receipt of treatment in line with preferences, use of aggressive treatment, and oncologist communication skill.

The purpose of this study is to examine endoscopic ultrasound guided celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) with analgesic therapy in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer as it applies to decreasing the severity of abdominal pain when compared to analgesic therapy alone.

RATIONALE: Bupropion may help people stop smoking by decreasing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Giving bupropion over a longer period of time may be effective in helping people stop smoking. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well bupropion works in helping adults stop smoking.

RATIONALE: Determining how patients makes decisions about participating in a clinical trial may help doctors plan clinical trials in which more patients are willing to participate and are satisfied with their decision to participate. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how patients with stage II, stage III, or stage IV pancreatic cancer or stage III or stage IV colon cancer or rectal cancer make decisions about participating in a clinical trial.

The rationale for this study is to investigate the benefits of epidural analgesia in pancreatic resections in a prospective, single blind, randomized control trial. This study will evaluate both short and long-term outcomes related to epidural analgesia, providing a longitudinal and comprehensive perspective to the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. The investigators hypothesize that the use of epidural analgesia reduces a patient's consumption of morphine or morphine-equivalent in the post-operative period following pancreatic resections.

A dose escalation, safety study of local (intra-arterially) delivered gemcitabine to the pancreas using the RenovoCath R120 catheter to determine the maximum tolerated dose.

Improvements to treatment strategies for patients with cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract have produced a large population of people who remain free from cancer recurrence in the long term following treatment. Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with these cancers, but while surgical removal of the tumour may offer the best chance of cure, these are major operations associated with specific long term complications. Weight loss and poor nutrition are common problems among patients who attain long-term cancer remission and cure after surgery. The mechanisms underlying these problems are not well understood and therefore treatment options are limited. Our research has demonstrated increased levels of chemical messengers (gut hormones) released from the gastrointestinal tract after meals in patients who have previously undergone this type of surgery. These chemical messengers play a role in controlling appetite and interest in food, and increased levels after surgery may reduce interest in eating. Understanding the role of gut hormones in the control of appetite may allow us to use certain medications to block gut hormones and hence increase appetite, allowing patients to eat more and regain weight, preventing nutritional problems after surgery. In this study, the investigators aim to determine whether exaggerated gut hormone secretion causes reduced appetite and interest in food after surgery. The information gained from this study may help us to develop treatments for patients with weight loss and nutritional problems after surgery.

Determine feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in pancreatic (& other foregut) cancer patients comparing the effects of diet alone vs. diet+exercise on functional and clinical outcomes.