This research is being done to assess whether it is safe and effective to stop oral anticoagulation medications (a blood-thinning medication) during prolonged periods of normal heart rhythm in participants with infrequent episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF).
You may qualify for this study if you have a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and are currently taking an oral anticoagulant (a blood-thinning medication). You will be randomized to one of two groups: Control Group or Study Intervention Group.
If you are randomized to the Control group, you will be asked to stay on your previously prescribed oral anticoagulant. If you are randomized to the Study Intervention group, you will be asked to take the oral anticoagulant for 30 days only if a prolonged episode of AF is detected on an AF-sensing Apple smartwatch you will be provided.
This research is being done to assess whether it is safe and effective to stop oral anticoagulation medications (a blood-thinning medication) during prolonged periods of normal heart rhythm in participants with infrequent episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF).
You may qualify for this study if you have a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and are currently taking an oral anticoagulant (a blood-thinning medication). You will be randomized to one of two groups: Control Group or Study Intervention Group.
If you are randomized to the Control group, you will be asked to stay on your previously prescribed oral anticoagulant. If you are randomized to the Study Intervention group, you will be asked to take the oral anticoagulant for 30 days only if a prolonged episode of AF is detected on an AF-sensing Apple smartwatch you will be provided.
This project examines how to improve speech understanding with cochlear implants (CIs), particularly for older CI recipients. While older individuals benefit from CI technology, performance is poorer than that of younger implanted adults for difficult listening tasks. The mechanisms that contribute to this variability are not well-understood. The current project examines how differences in brain structure and function may contribute to success with a cochlear implant. To compare, we will also be examining how older patients without cochlear implants understand speech in difficult listening situations.
In this study, the participants will take pembrolizumab for 24 months or get pembrolizumab plus a course of radiation therapy for 24 months until the cancer progresses. After the study treatment is finished, the study doctor will continue to follow the participants condition for a total of 3 years. Some risks in this study is that pembrolizumab with radiation may not be as good as the usual approach for cancer shirking or stabilizing. Some risks associated with pembrolizumab and radiation which are reduction in blood counts, mouth or throat pain and difficulty swallowing. The potential benefit of this study is that radiation and chemotherapy/pembrolizumab can be effective at shrinking or stabilizing the cancer. The purpose of this study is to compare using pembrolizumab with radiation to pembrolizumab without radiation.
This study is enrolling subjects with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM). nHCM is typically a genetic condition in which the main pumping chamber of the heart (called the left ventricle) becomes abnormally thickened and stiff, which makes it harder for the ventricle to fill and pump out enough blood. This study involves the investigational medication Aficamten, which means it is not approved for commercial use by the Food and Drug Administration. (FDA) Aficamten is designed to reduced excessive heart pumping function. This is a randomized study which means all subjects are assigned to receive either Aficamten or placebo. Subjects have a 50:50 chance of being assigned to either group, but will not know which group they are assigned. Placebo looks like the medication but does not have any active ingredients in it. Study procedures include exercise testing, echocardiograms (ultrasound test of the heart), blood work, questionnaires and genetic testing. Study risks include risks associated with the study medication including decreased heart pumping, nausea, headache and dizziness. There are also study procedure related risks, and the risk of loss of confidentiality. There may be no benefit but the information learned may benefit others in the future. Study participation will last between 10.5 and 19 months and include up to 13 visits to the study site. Visits will generally last 2-3 hours.
The goal of this study is to help compare scans from the new photon counting CT scanner of a solid lung tumor with traditional lab and biopsy results. Subjects enrolled in this study will receive their normal CT scan on the new photon counting CT scanner that has the capacity to provide pictures that are better quality. These images will provide useful information that may lead to future improvements for patients with similar conditions.
This study will evaluate possible new treatments for advanced stage head and neck cancer. Patients who have undergone surgery to remove their tumor may qualify if the tissue is positive for a specific type of squamous cell cancer. The purpose of this study is to compare the current standard treatment, radiation therapy along with chemotherapy with a drug called cisplatin, to two other treatments. One experimental treatment is radiation therapy along with two chemotherapy agents, docetaxel and cetuximab, and the other experimental treatment is the standard treatment currently used along with the addition of an immunotherapy drug atezolizumab. Patients who qualify for participation will be randomly assigned to one of the 3 treatment groups (done with a computerized system). In the current standard treatment group, participants will receive radiation therapy 5 days per week for 6 weeks, and cisplatin once a week through a vein for the 6-week treatment period. The group receiving doxetaxel and cetuximab (both FDA approved medications for the treatment of certain cancers) will receive the same 6 weeks of radiation along with cetuximab through a vein 1 week prior to the start of radiation therapy, and then once a week for the 6 weeks of radiation and the doxetaxel will also be given through a vein once a week for the 6 weeks of radiation therapy. The final group will get the current standard treatment with 6 weeks of radiation and 6 weeks of cisplatin, along with atezolizumab through a vein 1 week prior to your starting radiation and then every 3 weeks for a total of 8 doses, There will be twice as many patients in this last group than the other two groups.
Follow-up will be at Month 1 & 3 and then every 3 months for 2 years, and then every 6 months for 3 more years, and then annually for as long as a participant is willing and able. There will be blood tests and CT scans that will occur throughout the study, however they are standard for the type of cancer being treated and how each individual responds to the treatment. The benefit of participation is there may be improved outcomes in this group of patients however the risks involved with receiving new treatments may be more than with the usual standard treatment. Some of the most common side effects that the study doctors know about are infection, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, tiredness, kidney problems, numbness/tingling in hands and feet. There may be some risks that the study doctors are not aware of at the moment. There will be a total of up to 480 participants across all sites and approximately 24 participants at MUSC.
This study is for patients who have heart failure with pulmonary hypertension. Heart failure means that the heart cannot pump blood as well as normal. Pulmonary hypertension happens when the pressure in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs is too high, blood flowing through the lungs is limited, and the pressure in the lungs increases when you are physically active, causing symptoms of shortness of breath and tiredness.
The study uses the Gradient device to see if can help treat heart failure with pulmonary hypertension. This device and therapy is still investigational, which means it is currently not approved by a regulatory agency (such as U.S Food and Drug Administration) for regular hospital use and it includes only individuals who choose to take part. Risks in this study include those for standard cardiac catheterization techniques and the administration of anesthesia including allergic reactions, low blood pressure, skin rash, or difficulty breathing; however, all of the risks may not be known. The study will last approximately 3 years and includes the following visits: Baseline/Screening, Procedure, Discharge, 1 month, 6 months and visits annually for 3 years. Study related procedures include a physical exam, blood testing, 6 minute walk test, echocardiogram, CT scan and a Right heart catheterization.
This study is for participants who have tricuspid regurgitation, a condition in which your heart's tricuspid valve does not close tightly which causes blood to flow backwards in the incorrect direction. This condition increases the workload on the heart and if left untreated, it can increase the risk of worsening heart failure. In this study, a device called the VDyne Transcatheter Tricuspid Replacement System will be used to treat the tricuspid regurgitation. The VDyne Transcatheter Tricsupid Replacement System is an investigational device meaning it has not been approved for commercial use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this study all eligible participants will be treated with the device.
Participation in this study will last about 5 years and involve up to 13 visits. Study related procedures include a right heart catheterization (test to measure the pressures in the heart), echocardiograms (ultrasound test of heart), electrocardiogram or ECG (test of the heart's electrical system) blood work, questionnaires, hall walk test, and physical exam.
There are risks associated with this study including potential risks with the device, implant procedure and study related procedures. There is also the risk of loss of confidentiality. The study may or may not benefit you but the information learned may benefit others with this condition in the future.
This study is for patients who have been diagnosed with a solid tumor cancer that has continued to grow despite treatments patients have already received (non-small cell lung cancer or urothelial cancer). The study drug is FF-10832 (gemcitabine liposome injection). Gemcitabine is a cancer treatment registered in the US for the treatment of ovarian, breast, non-small cell lung, and pancreatic carcinomas. The study drug is a new, liposomal formulation of Gemcitabine. This new formula was developed to increase the amount of gemcitabine that goes to tumor cells. The study drug will be given to patients by itself, or in combination with pembrolizumab. Pembrolizumab is an approved treatment for many types of cancer. There are two groups that a participant may be assigned to, which group a participant is assigned on will be determined randomly, in a 1:1 ratio, like flipping a coin. The drugs will be given via an infusion. There is a 50% chance of being assigned to either group. Participation in the study will likely last 12 months, but participants may stay on the study longer if the study treatment continues to benefit them. The study consists of a screening visit, treatment visits, end of study visit, and a long-term follow-up.