NCT06272214

Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Era of Immunotherapy

The Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in the Treatment for Resectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Combined With Immunotherapy: A Multi-center, Phase II Randomized Clinical Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 146 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Zhejiang Cancer Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized phase II trial aimed at exploring the value of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients at high risk of recurrence after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer. The study primarily includes patients with esophageal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery and did not achieve complete pathological response (non-pCR) postoperatively and were defined as preoperative clinical stage at T3-4N+M0. Eligible patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups: the observation group and the adjuvant radiotherapy group. The control group consists of patients who receive surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, followed by maintenance therapy with PD1/PDL1 inhibitors for up to 1 year or until tumor progression. The adjuvant radiotherapy group receives additional adjuvant radiotherapy on top of the control group's treatment. The specific treatment process involves receiving 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy (PD1/PDL1 inhibitors) before potentially curative esophageal cancer surgery. The chemotherapy regimen includes paclitaxel in combination with platinum agents, with a preference for albumin-bound paclitaxel (280mg/m2 on Day 1, or 100mg on Days 1, 8, and 15) in combination with carboplatin (AUC=5). Following surgery, patients start adjuvant radiotherapy 4-6 weeks after the operation, with a radiation dose of 45Gy/25F/5W, completed no later than 8 weeks post-surgery. Two weeks after completing radiotherapy, patients continue with immunotherapy maintenance therapy for up to 1 year or until tumor progression. Subsequently, follow-up visits are scheduled every 3-4 months for the first 3 years, every 6 months for the next 2 years, and annually thereafter. The primary endpoint is 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), and secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), recurrence patterns, and safety assessment. Additionally, the study will explore biomarkers predicting treatment efficacy and adverse reactions in subjects, including PD-L1 expression, ctDNA clearance status, infiltrating immune cell types and quantities, cytokine expression, and other tumor biomarkers. This exploration aims to guide stratified precision treatment for patients.

Conditions

• Adjuvant Radiotherapy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
RADIATION	Adjuvant radiotherapy	The start time for radiotherapy is 4-6 weeks after surgery, typically not exceeding 8 weeks. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) will be used, with a total dose of 45Gy administered in 25 fractions, five times per week. The recommended target delineation for radiotherapy is based on the Chinese guidelines for radiation therapy of esophageal cancer, which mainly covers the high-risk lymph node area.
OTHER	Observation	Patients receive surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, followed by active survillance and maintenance therapy with PD1/PDL1 inhibitors for up to 1 year or until tumor progression.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-01
• Primary completion: 2027-03-01
• Completion: 2029-03-01
• First posted: 2024-02-22
• Last updated: 2024-07-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China