Clinical Trials

Many of our physicians are also researchers and continue to make breakthroughs and contribute to discoveries that advance female pelvic medicine. Their research may offer some of our patients the additional benefit of having access to treatments that are under review in clinical trials.

Enrolling in a study does not always include testing a new treatment. Participating in a study can be as simple as answering a phone survey every few months to help doctors better understand healthy development, the effectiveness of prevention behaviors or the progression of a disease state. You will never be enrolled in a clinical study without your consent, and our physicians will give you complete information about a study that interests you before you choose whether to take part.

Contact the Physician’s below to enroll!

Current Trials

Study for treatment of patients with hip and pelvic floor pain

The purpose of this study is to better understand the type of patients who are diagnosed with hip and pelvic floor pain. Pelvic floor pain is pain coming from the muscles and connective tissue of the pelvis. This pain can be brought on by trigger points, tender points, and local pain. Even though this pain is common in adult women, not a lot of doctors check patients for these points, even when they complain of pelvic pain.  In this study, we are very interested in other symptoms that often happen with this hip and pelvic floor pain. Some examples are a sudden need to go to the bathroom, going to the bathroom more than normal, pain with urination, and not being able to hold it until you get to a bathroom. and symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (heaviness, pressure). We are also interested in investigating the change in these symptoms after a course of treatment.

You may be a candidate if: you have bothersome urinary or bladder symptoms and are found to have hip and pelvic floor pain on examination.

Contact: Melanie Meister, MD
314-273-1329 | meisterm@wustl.edu

Nutraceutical efficacy for recurrent UTI

This is a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a dietary supplement (known as a nutraceutical) as a non-antibiotic treatment to prevent repeated urinary tract infections in women that have completed menopause and are on vaginal estrogen therapy.  A separate arm of the study will also evaluate the effectiveness of a dietary supplement in patients who do not use vaginal estrogen therapy. In the past, patients with repeated UTIs have been placed on long-term antibiotics to try to prevent them from happening again. With more concern about antibiotics not working and side effects from antibiotics, some healthcare providers prefer other treatment options. This study investigates a combination treatment approach to preventing recurrent UTIs.

You may be a candidate if: you have completed menopause and have two positive urine tests in the last 6 months or three positive urine tests in the last 12 months.

Contact: Stacy Lenger, MD
314-747-1402 | slenger@wustl.edu

Use of vaginal estrogen cream to treat bladder infections in women who have gone through menopause

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and irritative voiding symptoms (urinary urgency, frequency) are common in women of all ages but occur more frequently in women who have gone through menopause. Vaginal estrogen cream therapy is used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms and to prevent urinary tract infections. However, the current strength and dosing recommendations are not standardized or evidence-based, and how vaginal estrogen works is not very clear. Even though this treatment is considered first-line therapy in gynecology, many physicians and patients may not “believe” that a topical vaginal estrogen therapy really works.

This study will look at UTIs and many irritative voiding symptoms that have an inflammatory response and will examine the effect of the form of cream (Estrace™ non-liquefying cream, USP, 0.01%) the doctor prescribes to women with urinary tract infections who have gone through menopause.

You may be a candidate if: you have recurrent bladder infections

Contact: Melanie Meister, MD
314-273-1329 | meisterm@wustl.edu

 Women’s Genitourinary Tract Specimen Bank

The purpose of the study is to facilitate the creation of a specimen bank (biobank) of genitourinary tract samples. These specimens will be collected from non-pregnant women of different age groups and will be available to many researchers.  Samples collected will include endometrial samples, fibroids, vaginal swabs and urine. For more information, visit the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences.

Contact: Indira Mysorekar, PhD
314-747-1329 | imysorekar@wustl.edu

CUTI (Cancer of the Uterus and Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence)

UPDATE: This study is currently in progress. We are no longer recruiting for this study.
The purpose of this study is to compare quality of life in women with endometrial cancer or atypical hyperplasia and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) who undergo SUI and endometrial cancer surgery simultaneously to women that do not. In addition, this study will determine if there are differences in the clinical outcomes of women with SUI who have concurrent surgery compared to those that do not. Overall we expect women that choose concurrent SUI and cancer surgery will have improved quality of life (QoL) scores, but no difference in clinical outcomes.

Contact: Zoe Jennings
zoejennings@wustl.edu