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Pembrolizumab Plus Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy vs. Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced ESCC (KEYSTONE-002)

A Multicenter Randomized, Controlled Phase III Clinical Trial of Pembrolizumab Plus Paclitaxel and Cisplatin Versus Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Surgery for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (KEYSTONE-002)

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04807673
Acronym
KEYSTONE-002
Enrollment
342
Registered
2021-03-19
Start date
2021-12-01
Completion date
2028-05-31
Last updated
2022-06-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Keywords

esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Immunotherapy, neoadjuvant therapy

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus paclitaxel, cisplatin as neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery, and pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy, compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for locally advanced ESCC in multicenter.

Detailed description

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy with radical surgery is the recommended treatment for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the NCCN guidelines. But many patients refused or abandon radiotherapy because of the intolerable adverse effects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus paclitaxel, cisplatin as neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery, and pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy, compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for locally advanced ESCC in multicenter. The primary study hypothesis is that Event Free Survival (EFS) is superior with pembrolizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in participants with ESCC.

Interventions

BIOLOGICALPembrolizumab

Neoadjuvant period: pembrolizumab 200mg IV D1, Q3W, and preoperative therapy with three cycles. Adjuvant period: pembrolizumab 200 mg IV D1, Q3W, up to one year, which should be performed within 3-6 weeks after surgery.

DRUGPaclitaxel

Neoadjuvant period: paclitaxel 135mg/m\^2 IV on Day 2 Q3W, and a total of three cycles.

DRUGCisplatin

Neoadjuvant period: cisplatin 80 mg/m\^2 IV on Day 2 Q3W, and a total of three cycles.

RADIATIONneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy 41.4Gy(1.8Gy×23 fractions) with five cycles of TP(Paclitaxel 50mg/m\^2 on D1 and Cisplatin 25mg/m\^2 D1, repeated every week

Sponsors

Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
CollaboratorOTHER
Shanghai Chest Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Ruijin Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Hebei Medical University Fourth Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Harbin Medical University
CollaboratorOTHER
Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute
CollaboratorOTHER
Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Jining First People's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Weifang People's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Tianjin Medical University General Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Shandong Provincial Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Histologically confirmed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; 2. R0 resectable thoracic esophageal cancer, cT1-3N1-2M0, cT2-3N0M0 (AJCC V8 TNM classification); 3. No suspicious metastatic lymph nodes on the clavicle; 4. Have a performance status of 0 or 1 on the ECOG Performance Scale; 5. Age 18-75 years old, both men and women; 6. Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial; 7. Demonstrate adequate organ function ; 8. Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours before receiving the first dose of study medication. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required; 9. Be willing to provide tissue, blood, and urine samples. Tissue should be from a newly obtained core or excisional biopsy of a tumor lesion through repeated biopsies. Newly-obtained is defined as a specimen obtained up to 4 weeks (28 days) before initiation of treatment on Day 1. 10. Have not received systemic or local treatment for esophageal cancer in the past.

Exclusion criteria

1. Ineligibility or contraindication for esophagectomy; 2. Prior therapy (operation, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy) for esophageal cancer 3. Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease; 4. Requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications; 5. Subjects with a history of symptomatic interstitial lung disease; 6. History of allergy to study drug components; 7. Women must not be pregnant or breast-feeding; 8. Patient has received prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy, target therapy ,and immune therapy for this malignancy or any other past malignancy; 9. Underlying medical conditions that, in the Investigator's opinion, will make the administration of study drug hazardous or obscure the interpretation of toxicity or adverse events.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Event Free Survival (EFS)Up to approximately 2.5 yearsEFS is defined as the time from randomization to the first documented disease progression per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) as assessed by investigator, or recurrence, or metastasis, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. For this analysis, EFS will be assessed in participants with ESCC.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Disease Free Survival (DFS)3 and 5 yearsPercentage of Participants With DFS, as Assessed by RECIST 1.1. DFS is defined as the time from randomization to the first documented disease progression of local recurrence or distant metastasis or death due to any cause.
Major pathologic response (MPR)1 month after resectionMPR is defined as viable tumor comprised ≤ 10% of resected tumor specimens.
Objective response rate (ORR)1 month after resectionORR is defined as the percentage of participants in the analysis population who have a Complete Response (CR: disappearance of all target lesions) or a Partial Response (PR: ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions) per RECIST 1.1 as assessed by investigator. For this analysis, ORR will be assessed in all participants.
Pathologic Complete Response (PCR)1 month after resectionPCR is defined as pT0N0M0
Overall Survival (OS)3 and 5 yearsOS is defined as the time from randomization to death due to any cause.
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Tolerability]up to 16 monthsAll participants with treatment-related adverse events as assessed by National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event,Version 4.0(CTC AE4.0).
Quality of life differences (EORTC QLQ-C30)2.5 yearsThe quality of life will be assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer patients (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire. Patients will be invited to finish the questionnaire at the first day of randomization, before surgery and after surgery (3m, 6m, 12m and 24 months).
Quality of life differences (EORTC QLQ-OES18)2.5 yearsThe quality of life will be assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer patients (EORTC QLQ-OES18) questionnaire. Patients will be invited to finish the questionnaire at the first day of randomization, before surgery and after surgery (3m, 6m, 12m and 24 months).
assessment in perioperationperioperative periodR0 resection rate, Time of operation, Quantity of bleeding, Thoracic Drainage, Days of Hospitalization, Rate of Operative Complication, Mortality of perioperation

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactHongjing Jiang, MD,PhD
jianghongjing@tmu.edu.cn18622221069
Backup ContactXiaobin Shang, MD,PhD
shangxiaobin@tmu.edu.cn18622221071

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 12, 2026