Rectal Cancer clinical trials at UCSF

Currently a multiport robotic surgery platform (Intuitive Xi) is widely available and used for colorectal surgery indications. A Single port platform (Intuitive SP) is FDA approved for Head and Neck and Urology but has not been widely used in colorectal surgery. This study seeks to evaluate the safe and effective use of the SP platform for colorectal surgery indications.

This clinical trial studies the effect of four different intervention components "tools" on body weight, nutrition, and physical activity in cancer survivors. Studies indicate that people with a history of cancer whose nutrition and physical activity habits are consistent with the American Cancer Society's Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines may have longer disease-free survival. The four different intervention components may help patients with a history of cancer adopt recommended health behaviors after they have completed treatment.

This clinical trial evaluates whether an adaptive text-message intervention is useful in helping survivors of colorectal cancers (CRC) eat more whole grain foods and less refined grain foods. Most CRC survivors don't achieve the recommended intakes of whole grains or fiber, even though there is strong evidence that a high-fiber diet rich in whole grains lowers the risk of death from CRC. Dietary interventions are a promising approach for reducing death from CRC, and text message interventions specifically are a promising tool for reaching diverse populations. This trial evaluates a text-message based dietary intervention that continuously adapts message content to be specifically tailored for the participant for increasing whole grain consumption.

This phase II trial studies the side effects of chemotherapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy in treating patients with low-risk HIV-associated anal cancer, and nivolumab after standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients with high-risk HIV-associated anal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy drugs, such as mitomycin, fluorouracil, and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving nivolumab after standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy may help reduce the risk of the tumor coming back.