Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if the use of a low-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ketorolac, reduces the rate of chronic opioid use in orthopaedic trauma patients. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Are patients who are given scheduled ketorolac during the first five days of the perioperative period in combination with standard of care (SOC) multimodal analgesia (MMA) less likely to develop chronic opioid use at 6 months after injury compared to patients who SOC MMA alone? 2. Does scheduled ketorolac during the first five days of the perioperative period improve functional responses to pain at discharge, 3 months, and 6 months after injury? 3. Does early pain control provided by ketorolac decrease chronic opioid use through decreased acute pain and opioid use, improved functional responses to pain, or both? Participants will be enrolled and randomized to either the ketorolac (treatment) group or the SOC group. Patients randomized to the ketorolac group will receive ketorolac every 6 hours for up to five days during the perioperative period; patients discharged prior to completing the five-day regimen will complete the remainder of treatment with oral ketorolac. Pain and opioid use will be measured daily during the five-day treatment period. Opioid use will be measured and functional response to pain surveys will be obtained at discharge, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after injury. Researchers will compare patients receiving ketorolac (treatment) plus SOC versus those receiving SOC alone to determine if ketorolac reduces chronic opioid use and improves the functional response to pain.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate if combining a medication that can help improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a physical therapy program is better for improving walking than either treatment alone. The main questions this study will answer are: - Does combining dalfampridine with physical therapy improve mobility more than physical therapy without concurrent dalfampridine? - Is the combined treatment associated with better outcomes than the medication (dalfampridine) on its own? - How do the individual treatments (dalfampridine, physical therapy) alone compare to each other? Participants with MS-related mobility deficits will: - Receive 6 weeks of dalfampridine treatment to assess the effects of this treatment. - After stopping the medication for 2 weeks, the investigators will re-evaluate walking, then randomly assign individuals to a 6-week physical therapy program. - Half of the participants will receive physical therapy while resuming dalfampridine treatment. The other half of the participants will receive physical therapy without resuming the medication. Researchers will compare the combination treatment group (medication plus physical therapy) to the physical therapy only group to see if the combined treatment improves walking-related function. Approximately 3 months after finishing the physical therapy program, participants will undergo a final evaluation to see if the treatment effects have been maintained.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

The goal of this research study is to study U.S. Black individuals with a history of smoking to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and performance of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening among this population. The name of the intervention used in this research study is: Low-dose computed tomography (radiologic scan) chest scan

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

This phase III trial tests two hypotheses in patients with low-risk and average-risk medulloblastoma. Medulloblastoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the back of the brain. The term, risk, refers to the chance of the cancer coming back after treatment. Subjects with low-risk medulloblastoma typically have a lower chance of the cancer coming back than subjects with average-risk medulloblastoma. Although treatment for newly diagnosed average-risk and low-risk medulloblastoma is generally effective at treating the cancer, there are still concerns about the side effects of such treatment. Side effects or unintended health conditions that arise due to treatment include learning difficulties, hearing loss or other issues in performing daily activities. Standard therapy for newly diagnosed average-risk or low-risk medulloblastoma includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy (including cisplatin). Cisplatin may cause hearing loss as a side effect. In the average-risk medulloblastoma patients, this trial tests whether the addition of sodium thiosulfate (STS) to standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy reduces hearing loss. Previous studies with STS have shown that it may help reduce or prevent hearing loss caused by cisplatin. In the low-risk medulloblastoma patients, the study tests whether a less intense therapy (reduced radiation) can provide the same benefits as the more intense therapy. The less intense therapy may cause fewer side effects. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. The overall goals of this study are to see if giving STS along with standard treatment (radiation therapy and chemotherapy) will reduce hearing loss in medulloblastoma patients and to compare the overall outcome of patients with medulloblastoma treated with STS to patients treated without STS on a previous study in order to make sure that survival and recurrence of tumor is not worsened.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of open thoracic surgery (thoracotomy) to thoracoscopic surgery (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or VATS) in treating patients with osteosarcoma that has spread to the lung (pulmonary metastases). Open thoracic surgery is a type of surgery done through a single larger incision (like a large cut) that goes between the ribs, opens up the chest, and removes the cancer. Thoracoscopy is a type of chest surgery where the doctor makes several small incisions and uses a small camera to help with removing the cancer. This trial is being done evaluate the two different surgery methods for patients with osteosarcoma that has spread to the lung to find out which is better.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

The specific aims of this study are to: 1. Determine if a painless and quick measurement of muscle activity using surface electrodes can help with the diagnosis of ALS. Specifically, we ask if a measure of intermuscular coherence (IMC-βγ), when added to current diagnostic criteria (Awaji criteria), can differentiate ALS from mimic diseases more accurately and earlier than currently possible. 2. Characterize IMC-βγ in neurotypical subjects by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. 3. Follow a cohort of ALS patients longitudinally to determine if IMC-βγ changes with ALS disease progression and whether such changes correlate with functional and clinical scores, or survival.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2021

open study

This research study is evaluating the safety and tolerability of the drugs atezolizumab and bevacizumab with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This study involves the following interventions: - Atezolizumab - Bevacizumab - Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study

This study will investigate whether cannabidiol (CBD), the primary centrally and peripherally active non-intoxicating compound in the cannabis plant, exerts anti-neuroinflammatory effects in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) with or without mild-to-moderate depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

The objective of this study is to evaluate real world long-term functional outcomes, safety and performance of the Indigo Aspiration System for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE).

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

The purpose of the study is to evaluate a new radiotracer called 64Cu-FBP8 for PET-MR imaging of thrombosis. The tracer has the potential of detecting thrombosis anywhere in the body, for instance in the left atrial appendage of patients with atrial fibrillation, and thereby may provide a non-invasive alternative to the current standard-of-care methods.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2016

open study

The goal of this study is to investigate the safety of [68Ga]CBP8 and its efficacy to detect collagen deposition in pulmonary fibrosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2018

open study

This phase III trial studies iobenguane I-131 or lorlatinib and standard therapy in treating younger patients with newly-diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma. Radioactive drugs, such as iobenguane I-131, may carry radiation directly to tumor cells and not harm normal cells. Lorlatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving iobenguane I-131 or lorlatinib and standard therapy may work better compared to lorlatinib and standard therapy alone in treating younger patients with neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2018

open study

This project aims to establish a network of spine oncology centers dedicated to prospective multicenter research of patients diagnosed with a primary tumor of the spine and will include a comprehensive prospective clinical database which will serve as a shared research platform. Demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic variables will be used to answer questions about survival and local recurrence, as well as questions about adverse events (AEs), morbidity data, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Oct 2016

open study

This is a multi-site, open-label, non-randomized, single dose study to assess the clinical utility of [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT in the detection of metastatic disease in individuals with pathologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Following screening, using a standardized administration protocol and dose, participants will undergo [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT screening. SOC procedures and interventions will be captured during 3 months +/-14 days post injection. The primary objective is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of such [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT using a composite SOT panel. The maximum expected duration of the trial is approximately 24 months from first patient screening to last patient SOC follow up. The participants will be followed-up for safety for 24 to 72 hours after the dose of [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

This study is an observational, prospective genetic study. It aims to obtain DNA for research and testing from patients with PSP, CBS, MSA, and related neurological conditions and their families. Up to 1,000 adults who have been clinically diagnosed with PSP, CBS, MSA, or related neurological conditions will be enrolled. The study intervention involves sequencing of participant blood samples using non-CLIA-approved whole genome sequencing at the National Institutes of Health. Pathogenic variants that are deemed possibly related to these conditions will be confirmed using CLIA-approved testing. The study involves minimal risk to participants.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

This research is being done to evaluate Glofitamab by itself or in combination with Polatuzumab Vedotin, Pirtobrutinib, or Atezolizumab as possible treatments for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) that has transformed into Richter's Transformation (RT). The names of the study drugs involved in this research study are: - Glofitamab (a T-cell bispecific humanized monoclonal antibody) - Obinutuzumab (a humanized glycoengineered type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) - Polatuzumab vedotin (an antibody-drug conjugate) - Pirtobrutinib (a selective inhibitor of BTK) - Atezolizumab (a humanized immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody) - Tocilizumab (a recombinant, humanized, anti-human monoclonal antibody)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

The RESTORE Stroke Study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of DBS+Rehab for treating arm weakness and reduced function after a stroke.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

A Phase I study to evaluate the safety of a novel, orally available, selective, and potent small molecule inhibitor of the histone lysine methyl transferase MMSET (also known as NSD2/WHSC1) to prevent the dimethylation of H3K36 in adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This research study is studying the effect of different drugs as possible treatments for salivary and other head and neck cancers/ The name of the study intervention involved in this study is: -- implantable microdevice

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

The aim of this study is to develop and assess the feasibility and effect of a web-based, personalized risk-estimation for Crohn's disease (PRE-Crohn's) tool on behaviors and biomarkers associated with risk for Crohn's disease in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We hypothesize that personalized risk disclosure via the PRE-Crohn's educational tool is both feasible and successful in modifying behaviors associated with Crohn's disease risk and normalizing pre-clinical disease biomarkers when compared to standard Crohn's disease education. Broadly, completion of this project will also help elucidate the role of lifestyle and dietary factors in pre-clinical Crohn's disease development in high-risk individuals, and provide novel insight into potential strategies for disease prevention in this population.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

Language is a signature human cognitive skill, but the precise computations that support language understanding remain unknown. This study aims to combine high-quality human neural data obtained through intracranial recordings with advances in computational modeling of human cognition to shed light on the construction and understanding of speech.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2021

open study

The AIM HIGHer Clinical Trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM) therapy in patients with heart failure with LVEF ≥40% and ≤70%.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

Phase IV multi-center, US-centric, open-label, safety study enrolling participants with Hemophilia A or B with inhibitors, 12 years of age and older, who are either on long term prophylactic treatment (e.g., emicizumab) at risk of experiencing a breakthrough bleeding event (BE), or who are not on prophylactic treatment who may need to control a BE.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness (prevention of thromboembolic events) and safety (major bleeding) of adding oral anticoagulation (OAC) to background antiplatelet therapy in patients who develop new-onset post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. All patients with a qualifying POAF event, who decline randomization, will be offered the option of enrollment in a parallel registry that captures their baseline risk profile and their treatment strategy in terms of anticoagulants or antiplatelets received. These patients will also be asked to fill out a brief decliner survey.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2019

open study

In previous studies, Proton Beam Radiation Therapy (PBRT) has been found to show better results in treating patients with cancer, both because there is better control of where in the body the radiation is directed and because it is associated with less severe long term side effects. However, there is limited published data demonstrating these results. The goal of the Proton and Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR) is to enroll children treated with radiation in order to describe the population that currently receives radiation and better compare the short-term and long-term benefits of different types of radiotherapy. The data collected from this study will help facilitate research on radiation therapy and allow for collaborative research. The PPCR will collect demographic and clinical data that many centers that deliver radiation therapy already collect in routine operations.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2012

open study