Research

Active Clinical Trials-Open to Enrollment

Psycho-Spiritual Support for Patients with Advanced Cancer and their Family Caregivers (Protocol 2023-0450)

The goal of this behavioral research study is to learn about the effects of two different supportive care programs on patients’ and their family caregivers’ psychological wellbeing and overall quality of life.

Participants will be asked to answer a set of questionnaires 4 times.  Participants will be randomized to 1 of 3 following study groups. All sessions will be online by video conference using Zoom.

  • Group 1: participants will take part in the family-focused meditation program
  • Group 2: participants will take part in the family-focused cancer-related discussion program
  • Group 3: participants will not take part in the family-focused meditation or cancer-related discussion program but will complete the same questionnaires as Group 1 and 2

Eligibility Criteria: Patients must be diagnosed with metastatic (stage IV) breast, thoracic, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or genitourinary cancer; without disease progression for at least 3 months based on CT imaging surveillance; have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of ≤ 2; and have a family caregiver willing to consent to participate in this study.  Patients and caregivers must be age 18 years and older; able to read and speak English or Spanish and provide consent; and have a NCCN Distress Thermometer score of ≥4.

Lead Physician:  Julie Rowe, MD
Contact: Ayodeji (Ayo) Adeniji at 713-500-5570 or [email protected]

Translational Trials-Open to Enrollment

Development of a Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model of Solid Tumors

The purpose of this research study is to create patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models and patient- derived organoids (PDO).  PDX/PDO tumor models are created using a small portion of a patient’s left- over tumor tissue. In this study, researchers want to look at and compare the genetic changes of the tumor models with drug response and/or resistance.

Eligibility Criteria: Patients must be age 18 years and older, with solid tumors, undergoing cancer treatment at UTHealth/Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center, and able to provide a solid tumor sample (from a standard of care biopsy/surgery).

Lead Physician: Julie Rowe, MD
Contact: Betty Arceneaux at 713-704-3186 or [email protected]