Active clinical trials for "Pancreatic Neoplasms"

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) is a reliable, safe, and effective technique for obtaining samples from the GI wall lesions and from organs adjacent to the GI tract (pancreas, nodes...).Needles available for EUS-FNA include 25G, 22G and 19G. Some studies have suggested that the 25G needle could be equal or even better than the 22G needle. The BXN system and neddles are is a newly developed for EUS-FNA. This trial is developed for testing the accuracy of the new neddle system for EUS-FNA and for comparing the two needles types, 25G and 22G.

The purpose of this trial is to assess time to disease progression of patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors treated with Lanreotide Depot. This is an observational study therefore all data collected will be in accordance with the routine practice of physicians.

Current studies resulted in a superiority of a combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine vs. gemcitabine mono therapy, but no data are available yet on the quality of life (QoL) under this combination therapy. In the framework of a German multicenter prospective, observational study ('QoliXane'), detailed QoL-data are now collected. QoL development under treatment will be analyzed and data will be compared to existing data of the gemcitabine mono therapy. QoL and course of therapy are collected using the EORTC C30 questionnaires once a month over a 6-month period. Additionally patients are requested to answer a supplementary questionnaire addressing e.g. fears related to QoL deterioration and side effects of chemotherapy. Primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with maintained Global Health Status/QoL at 3 months (10 points threshold). 600 patients shall be enrolled at about 90 study sites in Germany.

This prospective, randomized, open-label and multicenter phase III study is aimed to estimate the survival benefit of Early Palliative Care (EPC) combined with standard oncology care including first-line chemotherapy (experimental arm) over standard oncology care only (standard arm), in patients with metastatic upper gastrointestinal cancers (gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, biliary tract cancers).

Accurate staging of patients with pancreatic cancer is critical to avoid the expense, morbidity, and mortality related to unnecessary surgery. While several tests are available for assessing such patients, consensus has not been achieved on the optimal approach. As a matter of fact, pancreatic cancer staging is discussed controversially due to conflicting evidence and certainly EUS has lost grounds due to improvements in CT technology. Thus, the role of EUS and EUS-guided FNA varies among treatment centers. The present study is designed to better define the role of EUS in predicting resectability, as compared to high resolution cross-sectional imaging.

This study will evaluate feasibility and acceptability of providing the Dignity Therapy/Life Plan intervention to pancreatic or advanced lung cancer patients presenting for treatment in the outpatient medical oncology setting. Investigators hypothesize that providing dignity therapy to this population will be feasible.

This is a diagnostic study to look for low levels of oxygen (hypoxia) in pancreatic cancer using an imaging test called positron emission tomography (PET). Hypoxia can influence how pancreatic cancer grows and responds to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The use of PET scans to measure hypoxia may be better and simpler than the approaches used previously. This study will assess whether or not PET scans using a tracer called 18F-FAZA (18F-Fluoroazomycin Arabinoside) can provide useful information about hypoxia in pancreatic cancer. Also as part of the study, a blood sample will be taken to study biomarkers (substances in the body that may be important indicators of hypoxia and/or pancreatic cancer) that may be useful in studying pancreatic cancer and hypoxia.

This study includes participants with pancreatic cancer who are undergoing genetic testing at Invitae related to their diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Our goal in this study is two-fold. First, we would like to research whether any inherited changes in genes may be associated with pancreatic cancer. Second, we would like to learn more about patient experiences with genetic testing, such as patient understanding of the testing, health-related actions taken (or planned to take) as a result of testing, communication and action of family members based on test results, and psychological impact of testing. This research study involves allowing collection of tumor tissue (from a prior biopsy and/or surgery), a blood sample, and sending surveys to participants for their opinion on the impact of the genetic testing as well as clinicians for relevant baseline and medical history information.

Reflexion on the therapeutic strategies to implement in patients at the end of life is advancing rapidly in France. However, beyond the choices presented to patients, sometimes even the decision to carry on, to limit or to stop treatments is also questioned. This decision is subjective; it is influenced by the patient's representation system (emotions, beliefs, values, practices, etc). In addition, even though he or she is the focus of the decision, the patient is not alone; other actors, accompanying the patient, play an important role in the final decision making. These actors, namely the doctors and close relatives, are also influenced in their decision making. This coexistence of representation systems may interfere with objective indicators that help in decision making (functional, clinical and biological) or with the knowledge acquired by doctors in their training and may complicate the decision-making process.

At present there is no validated prognostic tool for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) to determine how best to tailor individual therapy. This study is to see if tumor features in blood and imaging prior to surgery correspond with tumor heterogeneity in the specimen after surgery.