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TerminatedNo phase

Rapid Autopsy and Procurement of Cancer Tissue

Key facts

Who runs it
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Where
Bethesda, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Status
Terminated
People taking part
32 people enrolled
Started
30 Dec 2013
Ended
14 Oct 2025
Type of study
Observational, 5 groups
Record updated
5 May 2026
Why it stopped
PI departure.

Who can take part

Age
18 years to 120 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

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Who cannot take part

  • Known HIV-positive patients will be excluded (although HIV testing is not required for enrollment) because of the potential for contamination of tissue
  • Women known to be pregnant (known positive pregnancy test, although such testing is not required for enrollment) are excluded

Other criteria

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic NSCLC, SCLC, EPCC, pNET, thymic epithelial tumor (thymoma, thymic carcinoma) or mesothelioma confirmed by the NCI Laboratory of Pathology. Patients with bladder cancer (including urothelial carcinoma and other rare bladder or kidney histology), ovarian cancer, epithelial cancers (breast, colorectal, pancreatic, stomach and biliary cancers) and malignancies previously treated with an ACT are also eligible
  • Age >= 18 years
  • Incurable disease or terminal diagnosis
  • Patients or legally authorized representative (LAR) must sign an informed consent indicating that they are aware of the investigational nature of this study
  • Patients must provide valid written designation of an assigned Durable Power of Attorney (DPA). If one is not available, an LAR must be assigned
  • Patients and their legal next of kin must agree to a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and agree to Consent for Autopsy as part of the end-of-life care plan

Where in United States

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, United States

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Background:

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- Individuals with cancer of the lung, chest cavity, ovary, or bladder, as well as patients who have been treated with adoptive cell therapy unfortunately commonly succumb to their disease. Some agree to donate their bodies to cancer research that may help the medical community better understand these diseases. Studies of cancer tumor tissue obtained soon after death may be used to answer questions about the origins, progression, and treatment of cancer. Researchers want to conduct a study that involves planned collection of cancer tumor tissue shortly after death. To do so, they will arrange to provide inpatient hospice care for people with lung cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, or patients who have been treated with adoptive cell therapy.

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Objectives:

- To collect cancer tissue biopsy samples as soon as possible after death.

Eligibility:

- Individuals who have cancer of the lung, chest cavity, ovary, or bladder, or those who have been treated with adoptive cell therapy and are planning to receive end-of-life hospice care are eligible to participate.

Design:

* Participants will agree to receive inpatient hospice care at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Full details on end-of-life care preference will be acknowledged. * An autopsy will be performed at the clinical center within 3 hours of death. Tumor tissue will be collected from the primary site of cancer and from any areas of the body to which the cancer has spread. * Participants will not receive further cancer treatments as part of this study. This is a tissue collection study only.

The 5 groups in the trial

  • 1/Thoracic

    Patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic NSCLC, SCLC, EPCC, pNET, thymic epithelial tumor (thymoma, thymic carcinoma) or mesothelioma

  • 2/Genitourinary

    Patients with genitourinary malignancies

  • 3/ACT

    Patients treated with an adoptive cellular therapy

  • 4/Ovarian

    Patients with ovarian cancer

  • 5/Epithelial

    Patients with breast, colorectal, pancreatic, stomach or biliary cancer.

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Inpatient Hospice With Procurement of Tissue on Expiration in Thoracic Malignancies, Bladder Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Epithelial Cancer and Patients Treated With an Adoptive Cellular Therapy
Record updated
5 May 2026