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This phase III trial studies if selumetinib works just as well as the standard treatment with carboplatin/vincristine (CV) for subjects with NF1-associated low grade glioma (LGG), and to see if selumetinib is better than CV in improving vision in subjects with LGG of the optic pathway (vision nerves). Selumetinib is a drug that works by blocking some enzymes that low-grade glioma tumor cells need for their growth. This results in killing tumor cells. Drugs used as chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and vincristine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether selumetinib works better in treating patients with NF1-associated low-grade glioma compared to standard therapy with carboplatin and vincristine.

Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD

  • Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement
  • Executive Director, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
  • Ingram Professor of Cancer Research
  • Professor of Radiation Oncology

Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD

  • Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement
  • Executive Director, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
  • Ingram Professor of Cancer Research
  • Professor of Radiation Oncology

karen.winkfield@Meharry-Vanderbilt.Org

Research Program

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information

Nikhil Khankari, Ph.D., M.P.H.

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

Nikhil Khankari, Ph.D., M.P.H.

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

nikhil.khankari@vumc.org

Research Program

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information

Josh Peterson, M.D., M.P.H.

  • Director, Center for Precision Medicine
  • Professor of Biomedical Informatics
  • Professor of Medicine

Josh Peterson, M.D., M.P.H.

  • Director, Center for Precision Medicine
  • Professor of Biomedical Informatics
  • Professor of Medicine

josh.peterson@vumc.org

Research Program

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information

Jason Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Jason Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

jason.schwartz@vumc.org

Research Program

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information

Lisa Bastarache, M.S.

  • Research Associate Professor

Lisa Bastarache, M.S.

  • Research Associate Professor

lisa.bastarache@vumc.org

Research Program

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information
This trial studies the impact of indwelling tunneled pleural drainage systems (gravity or vacuum based) on pain in patients with plural effusion that has come back (recurrent). Vacuum drainage and gravity drainage are two commonly used drainage methods. Studying the best drainage methods may help future patients undergoing indwelling tunneled pleural catheter placement.
This phase III trial compares standard chemotherapy to therapy with liposome-encapsulated daunorubicin-cytarabine (CPX-351) and/or gilteritinib for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia with or without FLT3 mutations. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as daunorubicin, cytarabine, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. CPX-351 is made up of daunorubicin and cytarabine and is made in a way that makes the drugs stay in the bone marrow longer and could be less likely to cause heart problems than traditional anthracycline drugs, a common class of chemotherapy drug. Some acute myeloid leukemia patients have an abnormality in the structure of a gene called FLT3. Genes are pieces of DNA (molecules that carry instructions for development, functioning, growth and reproduction) inside each cell that tell the cell what to do and when to grow and divide. FLT3 plays an important role in the normal making of blood cells. This gene can have permanent changes that cause it to function abnormally by making cancer cells grow. Gilteritinib may block the abnormal function of the FLT3 gene that makes cancer cells grow. The overall goals of this study are, 1) to compare the effects, good and/or bad, of CPX-351 with daunorubicin and cytarabine on people with newly diagnosed AML to find out which is better, 2) to study the effects, good and/or bad, of adding gilteritinib to AML therapy for patients with high amounts of FLT3/ITD or other FLT3 mutations and 3) to study changes in heart function during and after treatment for AML. Giving CPX-351 and/or gilteritinib with standard chemotherapy may work better in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia compared to standard chemotherapy alone.
This trial tests the use of a disposable perfusion phantom (P4) to decrease errors in calculating the blood flow of a tissue with DCE-MRI. DCE-MRI is used calculate blood flow of various tissues including tumors. Blood flow often serves as a critical indicator showing a disease status. For example, a pancreatic tumor has typically low blood flow, so it can be used as an indicator to identify the presence of a pancreatic tumor. In addition, an effective therapy may result in the increase of blood flow in a pancreatic tumor during the early period of treatment. Therefore, DCE-MRI may be used to determine whether the undergoing therapy is effective or not by measuring the change of blood flow in the pancreatic tumor and may help doctors decide whether to continue the therapy or try a different one. Unfortunately, the measurement of blood flow using DCE-MRI is not accurate. The use of an artificial tissue, named "phantom" or P4, together with a patient may help to reduce errors in DCE-MRI because errors will affect the images of both the patient and the phantom. Because it is known how the blood flow of the phantom appears when no errors are present, the phantom may be used to detect what kinds of errors are present in the image, how many errors are present in the image, and how to remove errors from the image.
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