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.
RATIONALE: Gathering information about patients' quality of life during radiation therapy for cancer may help doctors plan the best treatment.
PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying quality of life in patients undergoing radiation therapy for primary lung cancer, head and neck cancer, or gastrointestinal cancer.
Principal purpose of the study is the determination of an active local external beam radiotherapy dose leading to a maximum number of tumor infiltrating T-cells.
This phase II trial is studying how well sorafenib tosylate works in treating patients with progressive metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. Sorafenib tosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.
This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of gemcitabine hydrochloride and dasatinib when given together with erlotinib hydrochloride in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread to other places in the body or cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Dasatinib and erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving gemcitabine hydrochloride and dasatinib together with erlotinib hydrochloride may kill more tumor cells.
The purpose of this study is to measure certain specific chemicals in your blood, produced by the body in response to a stress, such as having pancreatic cancer. These chemicals are called Ȭytokines" and the researchers doing this study want to look at the role they may play in developing depression.
This is a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 different types of routine pain management regimens used during clinically indicated, minimally invasive oncologic (cancer) surgery. This project is considered "Research" and participation is voluntary. Upon enrollment in this study, the research team will collect data from the patient's medical records. The patient will undergo all of the normal testing and procedures required pre-operatively (standard of care). The study team will then randomly assign the patient (like a flip of a coin) to one of three different study arms for pain management during surgery:
1. Laparoscopic Transversus Abdominis Plane Block (LapTAP) with Local Anesthetic (LA)
2. Laparoscopic Transversus Abdominis Plane Block (LapTAP) only
3. Local Anesthetic (LA) only The patient will receive standard pre- and post-operative care according to clinical guidelines (routine care). The study team will collect information from the patient's medical record for the first 24 hours after their surgery and upon discharge. This information will include pain scores, amount of medication required, any side effects the patient may have experienced, and satisfaction with pain control. Participation in the study will end upon discharge from the hospital.
Advance care planning involves thinking about choices if the patient becomes sick, and is important for everyone. It does not matter if the patients are ill or healthy. It is especially important for people who have diseases that cannot be cured. It allows people to make sure their wishes are respected if they become very sick or are dying. Thinking about these issues can be upsetting. But, for many people, it is helpful. This type of discussion can help the family learn what the patient may want but cannot tell them when these decisions need to be made
Liver metastasis may not be detected by CT and MRI due to their small size while they can be detected by EUS. Also, EUS-FNA has a great impact in improving the diagnostic accuracy of EUS. Objectives: To assess the feasibility of EUS in the detection of occult small hepatic focal lesions at the time of primary tumor staging, not seen by CT or MRI.
This phase II trial studies how well giving combination chemotherapy together with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and surgery works in treating patients with localized pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride, docetaxel, capecitabine, and oxaliplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Specialized radiation therapy, such as IMRT, that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) together with intensity-modulated radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery.
