Cancer: Disease Overview
Nearly 1.8 million Americans will learn that they have cancer this year. There are more than 200 forms of this often devastating disease, which are characterized by the uncontrolled and destructive growth of cells. Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in the United States, and BRI is committed to finding out what causes it and how to better treat and prevent it.
Laboratory scientists are investigating the connections between autoimmune diseases and the mechanisms that help cancer grow and spread without being detected by the immune system. Clinical trials are studying cancer from a variety of angles, including prevention and treatment.
What Is Cancer?
Cancer is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably. These cells can invade nearby tissues and also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems (known as metastasizing). Cancer can affect just about any part of the body. Biomedical advances over the past 50 years have vastly improved the treatments and outcomes for people facing cancer.
What Causes Cancer?
Cancer is caused by changes to genes that control the way cells function, especially the way they grow and divide. Usually, the immune system eliminates cells with damaged DNA. In the case of cancer, the immune system fails to recognize the cancerous cells and they can grow uncontrolled within the body.
What Are Risk Factors for Cancer?
Scientists still don’t know why one person develops cancer and another does not. However, research has shown that certain factors can increase a person’s chances of developing cancer.
- Age – Older people are more likely to develop cancer.
- Health habits – Smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, excessive exposure to the sun and unsafe sex can all increase the chance of developing cancer.
- Family history – Though cancer is not passed down from one generation to the next, gene mutations that increase the risk of cancer can be. Not everyone who has a specific gene mutation will develop cancer.
- Health conditions – Some chronic conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, can increase the risk of cancer.
- Environmental exposures – Exposure to harmful chemicals, such as secondhand smoke, asbestos, benzene, etc., can increase the risk of cancer.
What Is the Latest Research Into Cancer?
BRI is a leader in understanding the interaction between immune system function and the development of cancer. Our current research includes:
- Unraveling how cancer cells stop the immune system from recognizing tumors as dangerous.
- Pinpointing the links between cancer and autoimmunity.
- Using artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to identify new targets for treatment.
- Understanding the cells and processes that allow cancer to advance.
Labs Studying Cancer
Buckner Lab
The Buckner Lab is focused on identifying the underlying mechanisms by which regulation of the adaptive immune response fails or is overcome in the setting of human autoimmunity.
Byrd Lab
The Byrd Lab investigates the role of microorganisms in health and disease, with a particular focus on the gut microbiome — a complex community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that influence immune system activity, disease progression, and response to therapy.
Linsley Lab
Our goal is to develop and use cutting edge systems biology approaches to elucidate molecular signatures of complex immune diseases, understand the mechanisms of disease, and identify the right therapy for the right patient.
Stefani Lab
The goal of our research is to better understand mechanisms of sensing and repair during diseases like cancer, infections, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Clinical Research Studies in Cancer
We have ongoing clinical research studies in several areas of cancer research. Studies labeled as “Enrolling” are actively accepting new participants while studies labeled as “Closed to Enrollment” are still active but no longer seeking new participants.
Please email Cancer Clinical Research or call (206) 287-6270 for more information.
- Bladder & Urothelial Cancer
MODERN: AN INTEGRATED PHASE 2/3 AND PHASE 3 TRIAL OF MRD-BASED OPTIMIZATION OF ADJUVANT THERAPY IN UROTHELIAL CANCER
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: EnrollingABLE-22: A phase 2, randomised, multi-centre, open label trial to evaluate safety & efficacy of intravesical nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combo with chemo (gem & doce) or immunotherapy (pembro) in high-grade BCG unresponsive NMIBC
Principal Investigator: JJ Zhang, MD
Status: EnrollingEA8212: A Randomized Phase III Trial of Intravesical BCG versus Intravesical Docetaxel and GEmcitabine Treatment in BCG Naïve High Grade Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (BRIDGE)
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Blood Cancer
AbbVie FL: A Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Epcoritamab + Rituximab and Lenalidomide (R2) Compared to Chemoimmunotherapy in Previously Untreated Follicular Lymphoma (EPCORE™FL-2)
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: EnrollingMillennium: A Randomized, Open-label, Phase 3 Trial of A+AVD versus ABVD as Frontline Therapy in Patients with Advanced Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Brain Cancer
GTM-101: A Multicenter Observational Study of GammaTile™ Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) in Intracranial Brain Neoplasms Short Title: STaRT
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: EnrollingGTM-102: A Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial of Post-Surgical Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) versus Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) with Gamma Tile for Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Brain Tumors.
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentNRG BN011: A Phase III Trial of Lomustine-Temozolomide Combination Therapy Versus Standard Temozolomide in Patients with Methylated MGMT Promoter Glioblastoma
Principal Investigator: John Paul Flores, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Breast Cancer
OFSET: A Phase III Adjuvant Trial Evaluating the Addition of Adjuvant Chemo to Ovarian Function Suppression + Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Patients w/ pN0-1, ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer and an Oncotype Recurrence Score ≤ 25 (OFSET)Endocrine Therapy in Women and Men with Node-positive, Estrogen Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Early
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: Enrolling
ELEGANT: Elacestrant versus Standard Endocrine Therapy in Women and Men with Node-positive, Estrogen Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Early Breast Cancer with High Risk of Recurrence—A Global, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label Phase 3 Study (ELEGANT)
Principal Investigator: Nanette Robinson, MD
Status: Enrolling- Cancer Non-Specific
A Phase 1/2a, Open-Label Study of VS-7375, a KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) Inhibitor, as Monotherapy and in Combination, in Patients with Advanced KRAS G12D-Mutated Solid Tumors (VS-7375-101)
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingVirginia Mason Medical Center and Benaroya Research Institute Tumor Tissue Repository (VM-BRITE) Sample Collection Protocol
Principal Investigator: Christopher Gault, MD
Status: Enrolling- Colorectal Cancer
FHCC: A pilot trial to evaluate the effectiveness of navigation, interactive web education, or the combination of both to promote guideline-concordant colorectal cancer surveillance care
Principal Investigator: Val Simianu, MD
Status: EnrollingHAI Consortium Research Network: Registry of Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI)
Principal Investigator: Lauren Wancata, MD
Status: EnrollingNeo RT: A PHASE 3 RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY, EXCISION AND OBSERVATION VERSUS CHEMORADIOTHERAPY FOR EARLY RECTAL CANCER
Principal Investigator: Val Simianu, MD
Status: EnrollingNRG-GI008: COLON ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY BASED ON EVALUATION OF RESIDUAL DISEASE (CIRCULATE-NORTH AMERICA)
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: EnrollingThe Janus Rectal Cancer Trial: A Randomized Phase II/III Trial Testing the Efficacy of Triplet Versus Doublet Chemotherapy Regarding Clinical Complete Response and Disease-free Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Principal Investigator: Val Simianu, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentATOMIC: Randomized trial of standard chemotherapy alone or combined with Atezolizumab as adjuvant therapy for patients with Stage III colon cancer and deficient DNA mismatch repair.
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentSWOG 0820: A Double Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Eflornithine and Sulindac to Prevent Recurrence of High Risk Adenomas and Second Primary Colorectal Cancers in Patients with Stage 0-III Colon or Rectal Cancer, Phase III –Preventing Adenomas of the Colon with Eflornithine and Sulindac (PACES)
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Gastroesophageal Cancer
Astellas 2138: A Phase 1/1b Study of ASP2138 as Monotherapy and in Combination with Pembrolizumab and mFOLFOX6 or Ramucirumab and Paclitaxel in Participants with Metastatic or Locally Advanced Unresectable Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Adenocarcinoma and in Combination with mFOLFIRINOX in Participants with Metastatic or Locally Advanced Unresectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Whose Tumors Have Claudin (CLDN) 18.2 Expression
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Enrolling- Germ Cell Cancer
S1823: A prospective observational cohort study to assess miRNA 371 for outcome prediction in patients with newly diagnosed germ cell tumors
Principal Investigator: John Paul Flores, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Head & Neck Cancer
RANDOMIZED PHASE III TRIAL OF NEOADJUVANT IMMUNOTHERAPY WITH RESPONSE-ADAPTED TREATMENT VERSUS STANDARD-OF-CARE TREATMENT FOR RESECTABLE STAGE III/IV CUTANEOUS SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA (C-PRE)
Principal Investigator: Alana Aylward, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Hepatobiliary Cancer (Liver and Biliary Tract)
Kirros: A PHASE II, OPEN-LABEL, MULTI-COHORT, MULTICENTER STUDY IN PATIENTS WITH UNRESECTABLE HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA AND CHILD-PUGH B7 AND B8 CIRRHOSIS
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: EnrollingTvardi: A Phase 1b/2 Multicenter, Open-label Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TTI-101 as Monotherapy and in Combination in Participants with Locally Advanced or Metastatic, and Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: EnrollingALTUS: PERFORMANCE OF A MULTI-TARGET HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC) TEST IN SUBJECTS WITH INCREASED RISK
Principal Investigator: Asma Siddique, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA PHASE 1 DOSE ESCALATION AND COHORT EXPANSION STUDY OF TSR-022, AN ANTI-TIM-3 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY, IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED SOLID TUMORS (AMBER)
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentEA2197: Optimal Perioperative Therapy For Incidental Gallbladder Cancer (OPT-IN): A Randomized Phase II/III TrialEA2197: Optimal Perioperative Therapy For Incidental Gallbladder Cancer (OPT-IN): A Randomized Phase II/III Trial
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- HIV/AIDS Malignancies
AMC-107: A Phase 2 Trial of Ixazomib for Kaposi Sarcoma
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: EnrollingAMC-111: Impact of Behavior Modification Interventions and Lung Cancer Screening on Smoking Cessation in People Living with HIV: A Feasibility Study
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: EnrollingAMC-108: Multicenter Phase II Study of Pomalidomide Monotherapy in Kaposi Sarcoma
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentAMC-115: Use of a Screening Tool to Describe HIV-Related Cancer Burden and Patient Characteristics in the AIDS Malignancy Consortium
Principal Investigator: David Aboulafia, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Lung Cancer
ARTEMIDE Lung-02: A Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter, Global Study of Rilvegostomig or Pembrolizumab in Combination with Platinum-based Chemo for the First-line Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Squamous NSCLC Whose Tumors Express PD-L1
Principal Investigator: Kevin Chang, MD
Status: EnrollingARTEMIDE Lung-03: A Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter, Global Study of Rilvegostomig or Pembrolizumab in Combination with Platinum-based Chemotherapy for the First-line Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Non-squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Whose Tumors Express PD-L1 (ARTEMIDE-Lung03)
Principal Investigator: Kevin Chang, MD
Status: EnrollingNRG-LU008: PHASE III PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF PRIMARY LUNG TUMOR STEREOTACTIC BODY RADIATION THERAPY FOLLOWED BY CONCURRENT MEDIASTINAL CHEMORADIATION FOR LOCALLY ADVANCED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: EnrollingMerus: A Phase I/II Study of MCLA-128, a full length IgG1 Bispecific Antibody Targeting HER2 and HER3, in Patients with Solid Tumors
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Neuroendocrine Tumors
An International, Non-Interventional, Post-Authorization Long-Term Safety Study of Lutathera®, in Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic, Well-Differentiated, Somatostatin Receptor Positive, Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (SALUS study).
Principal Investigator: Bruce Lin, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Ovarian Cancer
FLORENZA: A Phase 2, Open-Label, Randomized, Master Protocol Dose Optimization Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of Multiple Treatment Combinations with Mirvetuximab Soravtansine in Subjects with Ovarian Cancer (FLORENZA)
Principal Investigator: Allison Barrie, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Pancreatic Cancer
Astellas 2138: A Phase 1/1b Study of ASP2138 in Participants with Metastatic or Locally Advanced Unresectable Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Adenocarcinoma or Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Whose Tumors Have Claudin (CLDN) 18.2 Expression
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingPfizer River: A Phase 2b/3, Randomized, Double-Blind Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Ponsegromab (PF-06946860) Compared with Placebo both with Background First-Line Chemotherapy in Adult Participants with Cachexia and Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingAstellas 3082: A Phase 3, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of ASP3082 in Combination with mFOLFIRINOX or NALIRIFOX as First-line Treatment in Participants with KRAS G12D-mutated Metastatic Pancreatic AdenocarcinomaAstellas 3082: A Phase 3, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of ASP3082 in Combination with mFOLFIRINOX or NALIRIFOX as First-line Treatment in Participants with KRAS G12D-mutated Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingA Phase Ib Dose Escalation/Dose Expansion Study of PTM-101 as an Adjunct to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Treatment Naïve, Borderline Resectable and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Enrollinghttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06989437A Phase 1 Open-label Study to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of Zolbetuximab (IMAB362) in Combination with Chemotherapy (mFOLFIRINOX) in Participants with CLDN18.2 Positive Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingA Phase 1b Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Efficacy of ATP150/ATP152, VSV-GP154 and Ezabenlimab (BI 754091) in Patients with KRAS G12D/G12V Mutated Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingAnalysis of Health Outcome of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingA Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter Phase 3 Trial of Quemliclustat and Chemotherapy Versus Placebo and Chemotherapy in Patients With Treatment-Naive Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA Phase 1b/2a Study of Gemcitabine and Nab-paclitaxel in Combination with Avutometinib (VS-6766) and Defactinib in Patients with Previously Untreated Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA Phase 2, Randomized, Open-Label, Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Ampligen® Compared to Control Group / No Treatment Following FOLFIRINOX in Subjects with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA Phase 2, Open-Label, Randomized Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Zolbetuximab (IMAB362) in Combination with Nab-Paclitaxel and Gemcitabine (Nab P + GEM) as First Line Treatment in Subjects with Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) Positive, Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA Phase I/II Study of MCLA-128, a full length IgG1 Bispecific Antibody Targeting HER2 and HER3, in Patients with Solid Tumors
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: EnrollingVM-BRI repository for early detection of pancreas cancer (VM-BRIDPAN)
Principal Investigator: Margaret Mandelson, PhD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentAlternating neoadjuvant Gemcitabine-Nab-Paclitaxel and nal-IRI with 5-Fluorouracil and folinic acid (Leucovorin) regimens in resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, A Pilot Study
Principal Investigator: Vincent Picozzi, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment- Renal Cell Cancer
NRG-GU012: RANDOMIZED PHASE II STEREOTACTIC ABLATIVE RADIATION THERAPY (SABR) FOR METASTATIC UNRESECTED RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (RCC) RECEIVING IMMUNOTHERAPY (SAMURAI)
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: Enrolling- Prostate Cancer
NRG-GU009: PARALLEL PHASE III RANDOMIZED TRIALS FOR HIGH RISK PROSTATE CANCER EVALUATING DE-INTENSIFICATION FOR LOWER GENOMIC RISK AND INTENSIFICATION OF CONCURRENT THERAPY FOR HIGHER GENOMIC RISK WITH RADIATION (PREDICT-RT*)
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD and John Paul Flores, MD
Status: EnrollingNRG-GU010: PARALLEL PHASE III RANDOMIZED TRIALS OF GENOMIC-RISK STRATIFIED UNFAVORABLE INTERMEDIATE RISK PROSTATE CANCER: DE-INTENSIFICATION AND INTENSIFICATION CLINICAL TRIAL EVALUATION (GUIDANCE)
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD and John Paul Flores, MD
Status: EnrollingA Phase 2 Open-label Extension Study for Subjects with Prostate Cancer Who Previously Participated in an Enzalutamide Clinical Study
Principal Investigator: John Paul Flores, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentPhase III IGRT and SBRT vs IGRT and Hypofractionated IMRT for localized intermediate risk prostate cancer
Principal Investigator: Huong Pham, MD
Status: Closed to EnrollmentA Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled,Phase III Study of ARN-509 in Men with Non-Metastatic (M0) Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Principal Investigator: Joseph Rosales, MD
Status: Closed to Enrollment
Are you living with cancer?
Support cancer research at BRI by participating in our cancer biorepository.
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Find out about new advances in autoimmune disease screening from a team led by Cate Speake, PhD.
