Research Projects & Grants

College/University

• Penn State - Prospective observational database of patients with colon cancer at risk of peritoneal recurrence, Role: Investigator, Pennsylvania State University, (12/2024 - 12/2025) Status: Approved

Federal

• SWOG - PACCT-1: Program of the assessment of clinical tests (PACCT-1): Trial assigning individualized options for treatment: the TAILORx trial, Role: Investigator, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, (11/2024 - 11/2025) Status: Approved
• BCPT P-1. A clinical trial to determine the worth of tamoxifen for preventing breast cancer, Role: PI, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (04/2006 - 04/2007) Status: Completed
• NASBP B-27.2 A trial to evaluate the worth of tumor biomarkers obtained by FNA or core biopsy in predicting response to preoperative chemotherapy and long-term outcome in patients with operable breast cancer who are participating in NASBP Protocol B-27, Role: Investigator, National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS, (02/2002 - 02/2003) Status: Completed

For Profit Organization

• SWOG A011202: a randomized phase III trial comparing axillary lymph node dissection to axillary radiation in breast cancer patients (cT1-3 N1) who have positive sentinel lymph node disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, Role: Investigator, Southwest Oncology Group, (08/2024 - 08/2025) Status: Approved
• Castle Biosciences Inc. CBl-2019-SLNBprosp-001: DecisionDx-Melanoma Impact on Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Decisions and Clinical Outcomes DECIDE, Role: Investigator, Castle Biosciences, Inc., (11/2020) Status: Approved
• Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) - S0800: A randomized phase II trial of weekly nanoparticle albumin bound pacilitaxel (nab-pacilitaxel) (NSC-736631) with or without bevacizumab, either preceded by or followed by Q 2 week doxorubicin (A) and cyclophosphamide (c) plus pegfilgrastim (PEG-G) as neoadjuvant therapy for inflammatory and locally advanced her-2/neu negative breast cancer, Role: Investigator, Southwest Oncology Group, (05/2018 - 05/2019) Status: Completed
• A phase I/II neoadjuvant study of Capecitabine, Irinotecan, Celecoxib and radiation therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, Role: Investigator, Pharmacia, (09/2006 - 09/2007) Status: Completed
• SWOG-N9741 A randomized phase III trial of combinations of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan as initial treatment of patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum., Role: Investigator, Southwest Oncology Group, Status: Completed

Internal

• A phase II trial of proton chemotherapy (PCT) for resectable esophageal or esophagogastric junction cancer, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Radiation Medicine, (08/2024 - 08/2025) Status: Approved
• Phase II trial of partial breast proton therapy for early stage breast cancer with low and intermediate risk factors, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Radiation Medicine, (08/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Approved
• Investigator Initiated: A phase II trial of preoperative chemotherapy (with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel) and stereotactic body radiotherapy followed by surgery and chemotherapy in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (09/2024 - 09/2025) Status: Approved
• ENCASe: Evaluation of needle core biopsy of axillary sentinel lymph node in breast cancer, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (10/2023 - 08/2024) Status: Completed
• SHAVE 2: A multicenter randomized controlled trial of routine shave margins vs. standard partial mastectomy in breast cancer patients, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (07/2023 - 06/2024) Status: Completed
• A phase II study of preoperative proton therapy in soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and body wall, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Radiation Medicine, (05/2022 - 05/2023) Status: Completed
• Does preoperative biopsy of retroperitoneal and extremity sarcoma change treatment strategy?, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (09/2020) Status: Approved
• Gastric and esophageal cancer database. A prospective observational study, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (12/2019) Status: Approved
• Gastric and Esophageal cancer databank: Retrospective, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (11/2019) Status: Approved
• Results of mastectomy: Single institution experience, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (09/2015) Status: Completed
• Underreporting of gastrointestinal stromal tumors to the national cancer registry due to classification issues, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (03/2014 - 03/2015) Status: Completed
• Prevalance of overweight and obesity in a breast clinic population, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (01/2013 - 01/2014) Status: Completed
• Massage therapy and the relationship to post-operative pain management, Role: Investigator, Loma Linda University Medical Center, (02/2012 - 02/2013) Status: Completed
• Virtual reality laparoscopic simulator, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (09/2011) Status: Completed
• Loma Linda University Medical Center's experience with the Gail Model: a retrospective study, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (10/2004 - 10/2005) Status: Completed
• The relationship between object relations development and view of God, with experience of emotions, and quality of life of breast cancer patients from the Cancer Institute at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Role: Investigator, LLU Faculty of Religion, (03/2003) Status: Completed
• LLU Cancer Center biospecimen laboratory - specimens collection protocol, Role: Investigator, LLU Cancer Institute, (09/2024 - 09/2025) Status: Approved

Non-Profit Organization

• NSABP B43: A phase III clinical trial comparing trastuzumab given concurrently with radiation therapy and radiation therapy alone for women with HER2-positive ductal carcinoma in situ resected by lumpectomy, Role: Investigator, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (12/2024 - 12/2025) Status: Approved
• NSABP B51 / RTOG 1304: a randomized phase III clinical trial evaluating post-mastectomy chest wall and regional nodal XRT and post-lumpectomy regional nodal XRT in patients with positive axillary nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy who convert to pathologically negative axillary nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, Role: Investigator, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (09/2024 - 09/2025) Status: Approved
• NSABP - FB-7: A phase II randomized clinical trial evaluating neoadjuvant therapy regimens with weekly paclitaxel plus neratinib or trastuzumab or neratinib and trastuzumab followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide with postoperative trastuzumab in women with locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, Role: Investigator, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (07/2017 - 07/2018) Status: Completed
• NSABP B-29. A clinical trial to evaluate the benefit of adding octreotide (SMS 201-995 PA LAR) to tamoxifen alone or to tamoxifen and chemotherapy in patients with axillary node-negative, estrogen-receptor-positive, primary invasive breast cancer., Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (04/2006 - 04/2007) Status: Completed
• NSABP B-20. A clinical trial to determine the worth of chemotherapy and Tamoxifen over Tamoxifen alone in the management of patients with primary invasive breast cancer, negative axillary nodes and estrogen receptor positive tumors, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (12/2005 - 12/2006) Status: Completed
• NSABP B-23. A Clinical Trial Comparing Short, Intensive AC + Tamoxifen with Conventional CMF + Tamoxifen in Node-Negative Breast Cancer Patients with ER-Negative Tumors, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (12/2005 - 12/2006) Status: Completed
• NSABP C-05. A Clinical Trial to Assess the Relative Efficacy of 5-FU + Leucovorin with or without Interferon Alfa-2a in Patients with Dukes' B and C Carcinoma of the Colon, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (09/2005 - 09/2006) Status: Completed
• NSABP-B35 - A clinical trial comparing anastrozole with tamoxifen in postmenopausal patients with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) undergoing lumpectomy with radiation therapy, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (08/2005 - 08/2006) Status: Completed
• NSABP B-23 QOL. A study to evaluate the effect on quality of life of Adriamycin cyclophosphamine (AC) therapy versus cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) therapy in women with axillary node-negative, estrogen-receptor-negative, primary invasive breast cancer being treated on NSABP B-23, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (04/2004 - 04/2005) Status: Completed
• NSABP CI-66 (NCCTG N9945) - A Phase II trial evaluating multiple metastasectomy combined with hepatic artery infusion of floxuridine (FUDR) and dexamethasone (DXM), alternating with systemic oxaliplatin (OXAL) and capecitabine (CAPCIT) for colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (03/2004 - 03/2005) Status: Completed
• NSABP-BI65 Menstrual cycle and surgical treatment of breast cancer, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (08/2001 - 08/2002) Status: Completed
• NSABP B-26. A Randomized Trial in Patients with Metastatic or Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Comparing the Effect of 3-Hour vs 24-hour Infusion of High-dose Taxol, Role: PI, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, (09/1997 - 09/1998) Status: Completed
• NSABP-B33 - Treatment with or without Exemestane for breast cancer patients who are disease free after having completed Tamoxifen therapy, Role: Investigator, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, Status: Completed