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Optimization of Treatment Strategy for Unresectable cN3 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Optimization of Treatment Strategy for Unresectable cN3 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a Phase Ⅱ Single Arm Prospective Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06122493
Enrollment
48
Registered
2023-11-08
Start date
2022-11-01
Completion date
2026-11-01
Last updated
2023-11-08

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

ESCC, cN3, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy

Brief summary

This study aims to investigate a comprehensive therapeutic approach for patients with unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, clinically staged as Tany, N3, M0, and who are not candidate for concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy. The approach entails combining chemotherapy with immune therapy, followed by synchronized radiotherapy during the immune maintenance phase. The primary goal is to mitigate treatment-related side effects and enhance the overall prognosis through the integration of these treatment modalities.

Detailed description

Eligible ESCC patients receive a four-cycle regimen of combined chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. Those without disease progression then get definitive radiotherapy with immune maintenance therapy for up to 12 months.

Interventions

immunotherapy, 200 mg on day 1 per 3 weeks

DRUGNab paclitaxel

chemotherapy, 175 mg/m² on day 1 per 3 weeks

DRUGCarboplatin

chemotherapy, AUC=5 on day 1 per 3 weeks

RADIATIONRadiotherapy

Patients without disease progression after four cycles of chemoimmunotherapy receive radiotherapy targeting esophageal lesions and positive lymph nodes, with a total dose of 50.4 Gy delivered over 28 fractions.

Sponsors

Ruijin Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Chemotherapy includes carboplatin (AUC = 5, d1) and nab-paclitaxel (175 mg/m², day1) every 3 weeks for four cycles. Simultaneously, immunotherapy with tislelizumab (200 mg) is integrated into the treatment plan for these cycles. After the initial four cycles, patients have physical exams and imaging. Those with SD, PR, or CR receive radiotherapy targeting esophageal lesions and positive lymph nodes, with a total dose of 50.4 Gy over 28 fractions. During radiotherapy, two additional cycles of immunotherapy with tislelizumab are given at three-week intervals. After radiotherapy, patients continue with maintenance treatment, taking tislelizumab every three weeks. This maintenance therapy lasts up to a year, or until disease progression or intolerance develops.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma confirmed through histopathology. * Distant metastasis excluded by CT, MRI, or PET/CT examinations. * Locally advanced stage: AJCC/UICC eighth edition staging with any T, N3M0. * Expected survival time of at least 6 months. * With an ECOG performance status of 0 to 2. Not accompanied by severe pulmonary hypertension, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, severe chronic heart disease, or other comorbidities that could impact radiotherapy progress. * Adequate function of major organs: Hematopoietic function: Hemoglobin ≥100g/L, platelets ≥90×109/L, white blood cells ≥4×109/L. Exceptions may be considered for patients with ECOG 0-1 who have a history of chronic anemia (80-100 g/L), previous low white blood cell levels (3-4×109/L), or reduced platelets (80-90×109/L). Liver function: ALT and AST \<1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), bilirubin \<1.5×ULN. Renal function: Serum creatinine (SCR) ≤140 μmol/L. * Patients are required to provide informed consent to undergo treatment.

Exclusion criteria

* Existing or prior history of other malignant tumors (except non-melanoma skin cancer) that are uncontrolled or not cured, depending on the type of the primary tumor. * Lack of histological or cytological diagnosis for esophageal cancer. * Previous chest radiotherapy. * Suffering from innate or acquired immune function defects; * Pregnancy (confirmed by serum or urine β-HCG test) or during the lactation period; History of drug abuse or alcohol dependence; HIV-positive status, including those on antiretroviral treatment; Chronic hepatitis B with viral replication phase; Active phase of hepatitis C; Active syphilis with a history of mental illness that may hinder treatment completion. * Poor overall health status, defined as KPS \< 70 or ECOG \> 2. * Presence of severe comorbidities that could impact radiotherapy progress, including: Unstable angina, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction requiring hospitalization within the past 6 months; Acute bacterial or systemic fungal infections; Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory conditions requiring hospitalization; Hepatic or renal insufficiency; Immunosuppressed patients; Coexisting connective tissue diseases, such as active scleroderma or lupus, which are contraindications to radiotherapy. * Inability to comprehend the treatment's purpose or unwillingness to sign the treatment consent form. * Lack of legal capacity or limited legal capacity.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
1-year progression-free survival1 yearFrom the initial administration of the study drug to the first identification of disease progression or mortality, whichever happens first. In the case of patients who had not encountered local control failure or death, specifically in terms of progression-free survival, the time of the last tumor assessment was considered as the endpoint. Tumor response was evaluated by investigators following RECIST v1.1 criteria.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Quality of Life (QoL)1 yearsCollect QoL data on cN3 ESCC patients. The data is measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 (Version 3.0) according to investigator collection at the starting and ending time of the treatment. EORTC QLQ-C30 is a questionnaire developed to assess the quality of life of cancer patients. The core and disease-specific for ESCC modules are selected to estimate treatment related influence on patients' life. The final score of the questionnaire is collected and analyzed according to detailed scoring procedures from manuals.
Objective response rate1 yearDefined as the proportion of patients with complete response (CR) or partial response (PR)
Duration of response1 yearDefined as the period from the recognition of an objective response to the first identification of either progression or death, whichever event transpired first.
Acute toxicity3 monthsMonitor the occurrence of acute toxic reactions (based on CTCAE4.03) and subacute toxic reactions (RTOG) in the treatment of cN3 ESCC with the combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and ongoing radiotherapy, both during the treatment course and within three months after its completion.
Immune Progression Free Survival1 yeardefined as the duration from the initial dose of tislelizumab to the first identification of either disease progression or death, whichever happens first. Tumor response was evaluated by investigators following iRECIST criteria.
Overall survival1 yeardefined as the period from the initial drug administration to the subject's demise from various causes. In cases where patients were lost to follow-up prior to their passing, the date of their last documented contact was documented. For patients still alive at the last analyzed time point, the time of their last contact was considered as their survival duration. In the analysis of survival and subsequent treatment, all patients were monitored until their death, loss to follow-up, or the conclusion of the study.
Disease control rate1 yearDefined as the proportion of patients with complete response (CR), partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD)

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactYifeng Wang
ruijincrc@126.com0086-021-64370045

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026