Clinical Research Directory

Serum Treg/Th17-Related Cytokines and Systemic Inflammatory Indices in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

This study measures circulating immune-signaling molecules before thyroid surgery to determine whether they differ between patients whose thyroid nodule proves to be a differentiated thyroid carcinoma and patients whose nodule proves to be benign. Adults scheduled for elective thyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule or nodular goiter are enrolled consecutively before surgery, while the nature of the nodule is still unknown. One additional blood tube is obtained during the routine preoperative blood sampling that is performed for every patient on the day of hospital admission, one day before surgery. No separate venipuncture, no additional test, no additional visit and no change to diagnosis, treatment or follow-up is involved. Serum interleukin-17A, measured before surgery, is the primary outcome measure. Additional Treg/Th17-related cytokines, the interleukin-17A to interleukin-10 ratio, and systemic inflammatory indices calculated from the same blood draw are secondary outcome measures. Participants are assigned to the differentiated thyroid cancer group or the benign nodular goiter group after surgery, on the basis of the final histopathology report.

Long-Term Extension Study for Participants Previously Enrolled in an Exelixis-Sponsored Study

The primary objective of this long-term extension study is to allow continued access to study treatment for eligible participants who are deriving clinical benefit in an Exelixis-sponsored study who do not have access to treatment locally.

Study of Efficacy and Safety of Dabrafenib in Combination With Trametinib in Previously Treated Patients With Metastatic, Radio-active Iodine Refractory BRAF V600E Mutation Positive Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib in combination with trametinib for treating adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC) harboring the BRAFV600E mutation, who are refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy and have experienced disease progression following one or two prior VEGFR-targeted treatments.

Decision Aid Efficacy in Low Risk Thyroid Cancer

Low-risk thyroid cancer grows very slowly. More than 99% of patients with this cancer survive for at least 5 years. There are 3 main treatment options: remove the whole thyroid, remove just the part of the thyroid with the cancer in it, or leave the cancer in the thyroid and monitor it. Survival is similar across the 3 main treatment options. It can be difficult for patients to choose a treatment option, especially when feeling anxious about the cancer diagnosis. In this study, enrolled patients will receive a decision aid after finding out they have cancer but before meeting a surgeon. This decision aid is a pamphlet. It gives information about the treatment options and a list of questions for patients to ask their surgeons at their clinic visit. The investigators will test whether this aid changes patient decision anxiety and decision readiness.

The EMIRATES Study

This pilot study will take place in thyroid outpatient clinics. It will have two study arms running in consecutive order: first, a Control arm where standard care will take place without PDA-TC, then a Patient Decision Aid (PDA) arm where the PDA-TC is implemented into the clinical practice. Within each arm, eligible patients will attend two thyroid cancer outpatient clinical consultations during which the patient will make a shared decision with their clinicians regarding surgical treatment between hemithyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy. In the PDA arm, the PDA TC pamphlet will be introduced to study participants after the initial clinical consultation. The participants will be encouraged to read and digest information related to the disease and treatment options on PDA-TC before returning for their second consultation where a treatment decision will be made together with their clinicians. Participants will be asked to complete the Decisional Conflict Scale questionnaire after each consultation in both study arms. The patient will also complete a Satisfaction with Decision Scale questionnaire and a Preparation for Decision Making Scale questionnaire after the second consultation in both arms.