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.
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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Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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