Clinical Trials Search at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

This clinical trial studies side effects and best treatment time of cryodevitalization in treating patients with early stage (stage I or stage II) lung cancer. Cryodevitalization is a type of cryosurgery that uses a flexible probe (cryoprobe) to kill tumor cells by freezing them. It is delivered at the time of standard diagnostic robotic bronchoscopy. Using cryodevitalization may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating patients with early stage lung cancer.

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects, safety, and effectiveness of low dose radiation to the entire body (total body irradiation \[TBI\]) and higher dose radiation to known areas of cancer (hypofractionated radiation therapy \[H-RT\]) combined with atezolizumab and chemotherapy (carboplatin \& etoposide) in treating patients with small cell lung cancer that has spread to disease sites outside of the lung (extensive stage). Extensive stage disease has historically been treated with chemotherapy alone with consideration of chest (thoracic) radiation therapy for those with response to chemotherapy, as well as consideration of preventative radiation therapy to the head (prophylactic cranial irradiation). Emerging evidence supports the synergistic interactions between immunotherapy and radiation therapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill tumor cells. Combining TBI and H-RT with atezolizumab and chemotherapy may improve response to treatment.

This clinical trial studies whether a biomarker platform, the Virtual Nodule Clinic, can be used for the management of lung (pulmonary) nodules that are not clearly non-cancerous (benign) or clearly cancerous (malignant) (indeterminate pulmonary nodules \[IPNs\]). The management of IPNs is based on estimating the likelihood that the observed nodule is malignant. Many things, such as age, smoking history, and current symptoms, are considered when making a prediction of the likelihood of malignancy. Radiographic imaging characteristics are also considered. Lung nodule management for IPNs can result in unnecessary invasive procedures for nodules that are ultimately determined to be benign, or potential delays in treatment when results of tests cannot be determined or are falsely negative. The Virtual Nodule Clinic is an artificial intelligence (AI) based imaging software within the electronic health record which makes certain that identified pulmonary nodules are screened by clinicians with expertise in nodule management. The Virtual Nodule Clinic also features an AI based radiomic prediction score which designates the likelihood that a pulmonary nodule is malignant. This may improve the ability to manage IPNs and lower unnecessary invasive procedures or treatment delays. Using the Virtual Nodule Clinic may work better for the management of IPNs.

This is a multi-center clinical trial evaluating the effect of transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy for its ability to improve the likelihood of obtaining tissue sufficient for molecular analysis. Patients in outpatient clinics or pre-operative holding areas planning to undergo a bronchoscopic biopsy of a suspected malignant lesion (peripheral or mediastinal) for initial diagnosis, staging, or tissue acquisition for molecular analysis will be considered for enrollment and consented. Patients will only be enrolled if intraoperative ROSE suggests malignancy. Patients will be randomized to continue with the operator's initial EBUS-TBNA needle or switch to a cryoprobe to perform a sampling.