Could a blood vessel blocker boost esophageal cancer treatment?

NCT ID NCT06281886

First seen Nov 17, 2025 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 32 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests whether adding the drug apatinib to standard chemotherapy and radiation helps people with advanced esophageal cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. About 170 participants will receive either the standard treatment or the standard treatment plus apatinib. The study tracks how long the cancer stays under control and overall survival.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Sun yat-sen University Cancer Center

    Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China

What this could mean

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

Active substance

Apatinib (a drug that blocks blood vessel growth to tumors)

What this could lead to

If successful, adding apatinib could improve how long patients live without their cancer growing, offering a new option for hard-to-treat esophageal cancer.

What could go wrong

This is a mid-stage trial with only 170 people, so results may not apply to everyone. Apatinib can cause side effects like high blood pressure or bleeding, and the added benefit over standard therapy is not yet proven.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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