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Establishing Best Treatment Strategy for T4 Esophageal Cancer

A Pilot Study to Establish Best Treatment Strategy for T4 Esophageal Cancer

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06531434
Enrollment
22
Registered
2024-08-01
Start date
2024-08-01
Completion date
2026-04-30
Last updated
2025-09-22

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

Conditions

Esophageal Cancer TNM Staging Primary Tumor (T) T4

Keywords

T4 esophageal cancer, Induction chemotherapy

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.

Interventions

COMBINATION_PRODUCTDocetaxel, Cisplatin, fluorouracil, Radiation

Induction chemotherapy with Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and fluorouracil for 4 to 8 cycles, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy with Cisplatin and Radiation 30.6-40 Gy.

Sponsors

National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

All participants will receive an induction chemotherapy regimen consisting of 4-8 cycles of docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil. It is followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy if down-stage had been achieved by induction chemotherapy.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

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

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
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

MeasureTime frameDescription
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.
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.

Countries

Taiwan

Contacts

Primary ContactWei-Lun Chang, PhD
weilun1@mail.ncku.edu.tw+886-6-2353535
Backup ContactChing-Lin Wu, Master
n027174@mail.hosp.ncku.edu.tw+886-6-2353535

Outcome results

None listed

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