Radiation and immunotherapy combo shows promise against esophageal cancer
NCT ID NCT07682376
First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial explores whether adding low-dose radiotherapy and an immunotherapy drug (retlirafusp alfa) to standard chemotherapy before surgery can improve outcomes for people with a type of esophageal cancer that has spread locally but can still be removed. The study enrolls about 96 adults aged 18-75 with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Participants receive either the full combination or the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy alone, followed by surgery. The main goal is to see how many patients have no cancer cells left in the removed tissue.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- low-dose radiotherapy, retlirafusp alfa, nab-paclitaxel, cisplatin/carboplatin
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could become a new standard pre-surgery treatment, potentially increasing the chance of complete tumor removal and long-term survival.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early phase 2 study with a small number of participants. The added treatments may increase side effects, and the results may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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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
Locations
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Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can an AI eye guide surgeons to safer, faster cancer removal?
- Can a triple punch of immunotherapy and chemoradiation wipe out esophageal tumors before surgery?
- Can early tumor response guide smarter cancer treatment?
- Could a smart combo of drugs and radiation help some esophageal cancer patients skip surgery?
- Could more surgery and radiation after immunotherapy keep esophageal cancer at bay?
- Blood and tissue markers could forecast esophageal cancer return