MedPath

Establishing Best Treatment Strategy for T4 Esophageal Cancer

Phase 1
Recruiting
Conditions
Esophageal Cancer TNM Staging Primary Tumor (T) T4
Interventions
Combination Product: "Docetaxel", "Cisplatin", "fluorouracil", "Radiation"
Registration Number
NCT06531434
Lead Sponsor
National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the safety and efficacy of a new treatment approach for T4-stage esophageal cancer, which involves chemoradiotherapy after induction chemotherapy. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does the new induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation reduce esophageal perforation rate?

* Does the new induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation increase treatment response rate and patient survival? Researchers will analyze the above data to see if the new treatment approach works to treat T4 esophageal cancer.

Participants will:

* Receive induction chemotherapy for 4 to 8 cycles, followed by chemoradiation therapy if downstage to T3

* Visit the clinic once every week for checkups and tests

* Keep a diary of their symptoms

Detailed Description

The treatment of T4-stage esophageal cancer is challenging because of a high esophageal perforation rate (19%) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. This research aims to investigate whether a novel sequential chemoradiotherapy approach can improve the treatment response rate and reduce the incidence of esophageal perforation in participants with T4-stage esophageal cancer. The proposed novel treatment strategy involves induction chemotherapy for 4 to 8 cycles. It is followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy if down-stage had been achieved by induction chemotherapy. The study will be conducted in two phases, starting with a phase I study to determine safety, followed by a phase II study to evaluate overall efficacy. Expected outcomes include improved treatment response rates and reduced esophageal perforation rates in T4-stage esophageal cancer, offering a better treatment option for these patients.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
22
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Histologically confirmed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
  2. Tumor or lymph nodes invade adjacent organs (T4 stage)
  3. Aged between 18-70 years old
  4. Patient health status score Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) <2
  5. Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/L, absolute neutrophil count ≥ 2×10^3/L, platelet count ≥ 100×10^9/L, total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/L, serum transaminases ≤ 105 U/L, creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min.
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Previous chemotherapy history
  2. Myocardial infarction within the last three months
  3. History of unstable angina, interstitial pneumonia, fibrotic lung disease, or severe emphysema
  4. Has other malignancies currently
  5. Uncontrolled infection
  6. Pregnancy or lactation
  7. Perforated esophagus at the time of diagnosis

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy"Docetaxel", "Cisplatin", "fluorouracil", "Radiation"This is a single-arm study. All patients will be assigned to receive Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall response rate of the treatmentAt week 8, week 16, and 4 weeks after completion of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Overall response rate = complete response (CR) rate + partial response (PR) rate.

Duration of response (DOR)At week 8, week 16, and 4 weeks after completion of CCRT. Thereafter, every 3 months.

Defined as the time from CR or PR to the time of disease progression or death.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Adverse events of treatmentDuring treatment (up to 24 weeks)

Any adverse events of chemotherapy or CCRT.

Progression-free survivalAt week 8, week 16, and 4 weeks after completion of CCRT. Thereafter, every 3 months.

Defined as the time from diagnosis to the time of disease progression or death.

Overall survival timeAt week 8, week 16, and 4 weeks after completion of CCRT. Thereafter, every 3 months.

Defined as the time from diagnosis to the time of death.

Esophageal perforation rateAt week 8, week 16, and 4 weeks after completion of CCRT. And at anytime when participants suffer from symptoms in suspicious of esophageal perforation, eg. chest pain, hemoptysis, and fever.

Detected by bronchoscopy or CT scan.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Cheng Kung University Hospital

🇨🇳

Tainan, Taiwan

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath