New combo therapy aims to wipe out rectal cancer before surgery

NCT ID NCT04928807

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This Phase 3 trial tests whether a short course of radiotherapy followed by the immunotherapy drug camrelizumab plus chemotherapy works better than standard long-term chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer. About 230 patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments before surgery. The main goal is to see if the new approach leads to a higher rate of complete tumor disappearance (pathological complete response) at the time of surgery.

What this could mean

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

Active substance

Camrelizumab (an immunotherapy drug) combined with capecitabine and oxaliplatin chemotherapy, plus short-course radiotherapy

What this could lead to

If successful, this could offer a more effective pre-surgery treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, potentially leading to higher rates of complete tumor disappearance and better long-term outcomes.

What could go wrong

This is a Phase 3 trial, but results are not yet available. The combination may cause more side effects than standard treatment, and the benefit may not apply to all patients.

Disclaimer Read more

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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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

rectal cancer rectal neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    Wuhan, Hubei, China