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Could smarter surgery spare lymph nodes in esophageal cancer?

NCT ID NCT07697898

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Tongji Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study follows 400 people with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who have received chemo-immunotherapy before surgery. During standard tumor removal, surgeons will carefully label and analyze each lymph node station to see which ones still contain cancer. The goal is to map residual cancer risk and immune activity, which may one day allow surgeons to remove fewer lymph nodes, reducing complications.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
curative esophagectomy with systematic lymphadenectomy
What this could lead to
If successful, this research could point toward safer, more personalized surgeries that remove fewer lymph nodes, reducing side effects without compromising cancer control.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It will not change current surgery, and findings may not lead to new approaches. Results depend on many factors and may not apply to all patients.

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.

Participants

About 400 people

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

Expected to start

Jul 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jun 2031

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.

Who is studied

Patients aged 18 to 75 years with histologically confirmed thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who have received neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and are scheduled to undergo curative esophagectomy with standard systematic lymphadenectomy at participating centers.

Ages

18 to 75 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: * Age 18 to 75 years, regardless of sex. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. * Histologically confirmed thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. * Received neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and considered suitable for curative surgery after multidisciplinary team evaluation. * Clinically resectable locally advanced or locally progressive disease without evidence of distant metastasis. * Completed preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck, chest, and abdomen. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography and/or endoscopic ultrasound may be performed if clinically available. * Considered by the investigator to be able to tolerate curative esophagectomy and standard systematic lymphadenectomy. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-squamous cell carcinoma histology or concurrent primary malignancy requiring treatment. * Previous curative surgery for esophageal cancer or previous radiotherapy for the current esophageal lesion. * Evidence of distant metastasis, unresectable disease, or considered unsuitable for curative surgery after multidisciplinary team evaluation. * Severe autoimmune disease requiring long-term systemic immunosuppressive therapy. * Severe cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, or other major organ dysfunction that prevents surgery or completion of study-related assessments. * Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the participant unsuitable for the study, including poor compliance, inability to complete scheduled follow-up, or inability to provide key study data.

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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.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)

How to take part

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

  1. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  2. A doctor treating you

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