Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Conditions
Keywords
Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, Definitive chemoradiotherapy with salvage surgery as needed
Brief summary
NEEDS is a pragmatic open-label, randomised, controlled, phase III, multicenter trial with non-inferiority design with regard to the first co-primary endpoint overall survival and superiority for the experimental intervention definitive chemoradiotherapy. A second co-primary endpoint is global health related quality of life (HRQOL) one year after randomisation. A third co-primary endpoint is eating restictions one year after randomisation. The aim is to compare outcomes after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with subsequent esophagectomy to definitive chemoradiotherapy with surveillance and salvage esophagectomy as needed in patients with resectable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus, with the aim to provide generalisable guidance for future clinical practice.
Interventions
RADIATIONNeoadjuvant radiotherapy (arm A)
1.8 Gy fractions 5 days per week in 23 fractions to a total dose of 41.4 Gy.
Carboplatin AUC 2 + Paclitaxel 50mg/m2 weekly x 5 (day 1, 8, 15, 22, 29), starting same day as radiotherapy
PROCEDUREEsophagectomy
Esophagectomy performed within 8 weeks after termination of chemoradiotherapy
RADIATIONNeoadjuvant radiotherapy (arm B)
Two alternative schemes: 1. 1.8 Gy fractions five days per week in 28 fractions to a total dose of 50.4 Gy. 2. 2.0 Gy fractions five days per week in 25 fractions to a total dose of 50 Gy.
Cisplatin 75mg/m2 on the first day of weeks 1 and 5 + 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2/day by continuous infusion on the first four days of weeks 1 and 5.
DRUGOxaliplatin, calcium folinate, 5-fluorouracil
FOLFOX: Oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, calcium folinate 200 mg/m2 and 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 on the first days of weeks 1, 3 and 5 + 5-fluorouracil 800 mg/m2 by continuous infusion on the first two days of weeks 1, 3 and 5.
Sponsors
University of Leipzig
The Swedish Research Council
Karolinska University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
NEEDS is a pragmatic open-label, randomised, controlled, phase III, multicenter trial with non-inferiority design with regard to the three co-primary endpoints i) Overall survival and superiority for the experimental intervention definitive chemoradiotherapy; ii) Global health related quality of life (HRQOL) one year after randomisation; iii) Eating restictions one year after randomisation.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Histopathologically confirmed SCC of the esophagus in locally advanced stages cT1 N+ or cT2-4a any N, M0, according to current (8th) version of of the AJCC TNM classification. * Technically resectable disease according to the local multidisciplinary team conference (MDT)/tumor board. * Performance status ECOG 0-1. * Adequate organ function. * Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP\*) must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test. * Patients of childbearing/reproductive potential should use highly effective method of birth control measures during the study treatment period and for at least five months after the last study treatment. * Female subjects who are breast feeding should discontinue nursing prior to the first dose of study treatment. * Absence of any psychological, familial, sociological or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule. * Before patient registration/randomization, written informed consent must be given according to ICH/GCP/GDPR and national/local regulations.
Exclusion criteria
* M1 according to current (8th) version of of the AJCC TNM classification. * cT4b according to current (8th) version of of the AJCC TNM classification. * Primary tumor not resectable without laryngectomy. * Impaired renal, hepatic, cardiac, pulmonary or endocrine status that compromises the eligibility of the patient for multimodality treatment with chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy. * Subjects not considered likely to tolerate multimodality treatment with chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy. * Subjects with previous malignancies are excluded unless a complete remission or complete resection was achieved at least 5 years prior to study entry. * Prior or concomitant treatment with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy with potential overlap of radiotherapy fields. * Known uncontrollable hypersensitivity to the components of the chemotherapeutic agents used in the trial regimens. * Inability to fully understand and digest study patient information or to comply with study instructions due to language difficulty or cognitive failure such as dementia or severe psychiatric disorder. (Criteria slightly shortened)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Overall survival | 3 years after randomisation | When 398 events have occurred |
| Global Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) | 1 year after randomisation | European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30, version 3.0 (EORTC QLQ-C30). The two items assessing global health and overall quality of life are responded to in seven categories ranging from 1 (very poor) to 7 (excellent). |
| Eating restrictions | 1 year after randomisation | EORTC QLQ-OG25 instrument. This instrument consists of 25 items covering upper gastric symptoms or problems in four categories ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Very much). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health related quality of life of Cancer patients | At randomisation but before start of treatment and thereafter 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months after randomisation | EORTC HRQOL Questionnaire QLQ-C30 version 3.0, 28 items ranging from 1 (no problems at all) to 4 (very much) and two items assessing global health and overall quality of life are responded to in seven categories ranging from 1 (very poor) to 7 (excellent). |
| Health related quality of life, oesophageal specific. | At randomisation but before start of treatment and thereafter 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months after randomisation | EORTC HRQOL gastresophageal-specific questionnaire EORTC QLQ-OG25. 25 items assessing symptoms or problems are responded to in four categories ranging from 1 (no problems) to 4 (very much). |
| Health related quality of life, general health | At randomisation but before start of treatment and thereafter 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months after randomisation | The EuroQoL Group's EQ-5D-5L questionnaire consisting of five dimensions ranging from No problems to Extreme problems or Unable to care. |
| Event-free survival | 5 years after randomisation | Time to relapse, initiation of any anti-tumor therapy beyond the study treatments (salvage surgery is considered a study treatment in the dCRT arm), or death, whichever comes first. |
| Treatment-related adverse events and toxicity | Up to 5 years after randomisation | NCI-CTCAE Criteria version 5.0 |
| Histopathological response according to Mandard in operated patients | 5 years after randomisation | ypTNM including total and metastatic lymph node count, tumor free resection margins, R0 |
| Health economy | At baseline and 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months after randomisation | Assessed including patient-level medical resource use and societal costs due to sick-leave and other non-medical costs. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) will be calculated using EQ-5D |
| Nutritional outcomes - dysphagia | Up to 5 years after randomisation | Dysphagia will be evaluated at all visits according to the CTC adverse event scale, grading from 0 (no problems) to 4 (worst problems). |
| Gender stratified analyses of all endpoints | Up to 5 years after randomisation | — |
| Loco-regional and distant relapse rates | 5 years after randomisation | Including the relation of relapse location to the radiation field |
| Nutritional outcomes - weight | Up to 5 years after randomisation | Weight development. Weight (in kg) will be measured at all visits. |
| Surgical complications | After surgery in operated patients, up to 5 years after randomisation | According to the Esophagectomy Complications Consensus Group (ECCG) and classified according to Clavien-Dindo |
Countries
Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan
Contacts
Primary ContactMagnus Nilsson, MD, PhD
Backup ContactMats Hellström
Outcome results
None listed