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Could the anesthesia used during surgery influence whether esophageal cancer returns?

NCT ID NCT04513808

Disease control Sponsor: The Cleveland Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 08, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether the type of anesthesia given during esophageal cancer surgery affects how long patients stay free of cancer recurrence. Researchers will randomly assign about 1,600 adults with stage 1 to 3 esophageal cancer to receive either propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia or sevoflurane-based anesthesia. The study tracks recurrence-free survival, time in the ICU, hospital stay, and quality of recovery. The goal is to see if the choice of anesthetic could influence long-term outcomes after curative surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia compared with sevoflurane-based anesthesia
What this could lead to
If propofol-based anesthesia improves recurrence-free survival, it could offer a simple way to improve outcomes after esophageal cancer surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a large trial, but the effect of anesthesia on cancer recurrence is uncertain. Results may show no difference, and both anesthetics carry standard surgical risks.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 3

Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.

Participants

About 1,614 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2020

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 90 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Primary esophageal cancer without known extension beyond the esophagus. (i.e. believed to be Tumor Stage 1-3). * Scheduled for potentially curative esophageal cancer surgery. * Written informed consent, including willingness to be randomized to intravenous versus volatile anesthesia. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous surgery for esophageal cancer (except diagnostic biopsies) Age \<18 or \>85 years old. * ASA Physical Status ≥4. * Any contraindication to propofol or sevoflurane. * Other cancer not believed by the attending surgeon to be in long-term remission. * Systemic disease believed by the attending surgeon to present ≥25% two- year mortality.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

esophageal cancer Esophageal Neoplasms

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Esophageal cancer

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Shanhai Chest Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Shanghai, China

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