Could a smart combo of drugs and radiation help some esophageal cancer patients skip surgery?
NCT ID NCT07711470
First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026
Summary
This phase II trial tests a personalized strategy for people with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Participants first receive a combination of chemotherapy and the immunotherapy drug sugemalimab. Those whose tumors shrink significantly then get radiation plus more immunotherapy, aiming to avoid surgery. Patients who do not respond as well proceed to surgery-based treatment. The goal is to see if this response-guided approach can improve cancer control and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- sugemalimab, nab-paclitaxel, cisplatin, and radiotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could allow some patients with esophageal cancer to avoid surgery and preserve their esophagus while still controlling the disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with a moderate number of participants, so results may not confirm benefit. The combination therapy also carries risks of side effects from chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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National Cancer Center / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Beijing, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Could more surgery and radiation after immunotherapy keep esophageal cancer at bay?
- Blood and tissue markers could forecast esophageal cancer return
- Two-Drug cocktail aims to shrink Hard-to-Treat esophageal and stomach tumors
- Could smarter surgery spare lymph nodes in esophageal cancer?
- Timing of local therapy may boost immunotherapy in Hard-to-Treat esophageal cancer