Skip to main content

Physician Search

 

Consuelo Wilkins, MD, MSCI, Senior Vice President for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Senior Associate Dean for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, always knew she wanted to be a physician. "Health equity was built into everything I did, even if I didn’t know it or recognize it at the time," Wilkins said. "I have always learned and believed that people are the same — everyone deserves to be healthy, and everyone should have the best opportunities to take care of themselves and their families." Click below to learn more about health equity initiatives.

https://momentum.vicc.org/2021/09/everyone-deserves-to-be-healthy/
Vanderbilt was the lead site for an NIH-funded, phase 2, multicenter influenza vaccine study in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients that may lead to a change in the current flu vaccine recommendations in this vulnerable population. Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH and colleagues recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, that two doses of high-dose trivalent flu vaccine resulted in higher amounts of influenza-specific antibodies than two doses of standard dose quadrivalent vaccine.

https://news.vumc.org/2023/03/02/high-dose-flu-vaccine-beneficial-for-pediatric-stem-cell-transplant-patients/

Displaying 1 - 10 of 174

Comparing an Alternative Surgical Procedure, Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) Biopsy, with Standard Neck Dissection for Patients with Early-Stage Oral Cavity Cancer

Head/Neck

This phase II/III trial studies how well sentinel lymph node biopsy works and compares sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery to standard neck dissection as part of the treatment for early-stage oral cavity cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery is a procedure that removes a smaller number of lymph nodes from your neck because it uses an imaging agent to see which lymph nodes are most likely to have cancer. Standard neck dissection, such as elective neck dissection, removes many of the lymph nodes in your neck. Using sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery may work better in treating patients with early-stage oral cavity cancer compared to standard elective neck dissection.
Head/Neck
II/III
Topf, Michael
NCT04333537
NRGHN006

HLA-Mismatched Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation With Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide

Multiple Cancer Types

This is a prospective, multi-center, Phase II study of hematopoietic cell transplantation
(HCT) using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched unrelated donors (MMUD) for peripheral
blood stem cell transplant in adults and bone marrow stem cell transplant in children.
Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy), tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) will be
used for for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. This trial will study how well
this treatment works in patients with hematologic malignancies.
Hematologic, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome
II
Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai
NCT04904588
VICCCTT2171

Treosulfan-Based Conditioning Regimen before a Blood or Bone Marrow Transplant for the Treatment of Bone Marrow Failure Diseases (BMT CTN 1904)

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase II trial tests whether treosulfan, fludarabine, and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) work when given before a blood or bone marrow transplant (conditioning regimen) to cause fewer complications for patients with bone marrow failure diseases. Chemotherapy drugs, such as treosulfan, 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. Fludarabine may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. rATG is used to decrease the body's immune response and may improve bone marrow function and increase blood cell counts. Adding treosulfan to a conditioning regimen with fludarabine and rATG may result in patients having less severe complications after a blood or bone marrow transplant.
Hematologic, Pediatrics
II
Connelly, James
NCT04965597
VICCPED2192

Testing Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate in Patients with Somatostatin Receptor Positive Advanced Bronchial Neuroendocrine Tumors

Lung

This phase II trial studies the effect of lutetium Lu 177 dotatate compared to the usual treatment (everolimus) in treating patients with somatostatin receptor positive bronchial neuroendocrine tumors that have spread to other places in the body (advanced). Radioactive drugs, such as lutetium Lu 177 dotatate, may carry radiation directly to tumor cells and may reduce harm to normal cells. Lutetium Lu 177 dotatate may be more effective than everolimus in shrinking or stabilizing advanced bronchial neuroendocrine tumors.
Lung
II
Ramirez, Robert
NCT04665739
SWOGTHOA021901

Comparison of Chemotherapy before and after Surgery versus after Surgery Alone for the Treatment of Gallbladder Cancer, OPT-IN Trial

Gastrointestinal

This phase II/III trial compares the effect of adding chemotherapy before and after surgery versus after surgery alone (usual treatment) in treating patients with stage II-III gallbladder cancer. Chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, 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. Giving chemotherapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller; therefore, may reduce the extent of surgery. Additionally, it may make it easier for the surgeon to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue. Giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. This study will determine whether giving chemotherapy before surgery increases the length of time before the cancer may return and whether it will increase a patients life span compared to the usual approach.
Gastrointestinal
II/III
Goff, Laura
NCT04559139
ECOGGIEA2197

Testing the Addition of Pembrolizumab, an Immunotherapy Cancer Drug to Olaparib Alone as Therapy for Patients with Pancreatic Cancer That Has Spread with Inherited BRCA Mutations

Pancreatic

This phase II trial studies whether adding pembrolizumab to olaparib (standard of care) works better than olaparib alone in treating patients with pancreatic cancer with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of each cells genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to some types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Olaparib is an inhibitor of PARP, a protein that helps repair damaged DNA. Blocking PARP may help keep tumor cells from repairing their damaged DNA, causing them to die. PARP inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy. The addition of pembrolizumab to the usual treatment of olaparib may help to shrink tumors in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
Pancreatic
II
Cardin, Dana
NCT04548752
SWOGGIS2001

Comparing the Outcome of Standard Systemic Therapy Only versus Standard Systemic therapy with either Surgery or Radiation Therapy, for Patients with Advanced Prostate cancer

Prostate

This phase III trial compare the effects of adding definitive treatment (either radiation therapy or prostate removal surgery) to standard systemic therapy in treating patients with prostate cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Removing the prostate by either surgery or radiation therapy in addition to standard systemic therapy for prostate cancer may lower the chance of the cancer growing or spreading.
Prostate
III
Rini, Brian
NCT03678025
SWOGUROS1802

Testing the Use of Steroids and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors with Blinatumomab or Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed BCR-ABL-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults

Leukemia

This phase III trial compares the effect of usual treatment of chemotherapy and steroids and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) to the same treatment plus blinatumomab. Blinatumomab is a Bi-specific T-Cell Engager (BiTE) that may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. The information gained from this study may help researchers determine if combination therapy with steroids, TKIs, and blinatumomab work better than the standard of care.
Leukemia
III
Mohan, Sanjay
NCT04530565
ECOGHEMEA9181

A Study of a New Way to Treat Children and Young Adults with a Brain Tumor Called NGGCT

Multiple Cancer Types

This phase II trial studies the best approach to combine chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) based on the patients response to induction chemotherapy in patients with non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) that have not spread to other parts of the brain or body (localized). This study has 2 goals: 1) optimizing radiation for patients who respond well to induction chemotherapy to diminish spinal cord relapses, 2) utilizing higher dose chemotherapy followed by conventional RT in patients who did not respond to induction chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs, such as carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide, and thiotepa, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays or high-energy protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Studies have shown that patients with newly-diagnosed localized NGGCT, whose disease responds well to chemotherapy before receiving radiation therapy, are more likely to be free of the disease for a longer time than are patients for whom the chemotherapy does not efficiently eliminate or reduce the size of the tumor. The purpose of this study is to see how well the tumors respond to induction chemotherapy to decide what treatment to give next. Some patients will be given RT to the spine and a portion of the brain. Others will be given high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant before RT to the whole brain and spine. Giving treatment based on the response to induction chemotherapy may lower the side effects of radiation in some patients and adjust the therapy to a more efficient one for other patients with localized NGGCT.
Germ Cell (Pediatrics), Pediatrics
II
Esbenshade, Adam
NCT04684368
COGACNS2021

A Study of the Drugs Selumetinib versus Carboplatin/Vincristine in Patients with Neurofibromatosis and Low-Grade Glioma

Multiple Cancer Types

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.
Neuro-Oncology, Pediatrics
III
Pastakia, Devang
NCT03871257
COGACNS1831