Immunotherapy added to standard treatment aims to save the anus in Ultra-Low rectal cancer

NCT ID NCT07132463

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Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
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The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
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Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

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Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
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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

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First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether adding the immunotherapy drug tislelizumab to standard chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy can help people with ultra-low rectal cancer avoid surgery that removes the anus. The trial enrolls 196 adults with previously untreated rectal adenocarcinoma whose tumors sit within 3 centimeters of the anal opening. Participants receive chemoradiotherapy followed by chemotherapy, with or without tislelizumab. Those whose tumors disappear may continue treatment and be watched closely instead of having immediate surgery, while those with remaining disease are advised to have standard rectal removal surgery. The main goal is to see how many participants keep their anus.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
tislelizumab, an immunotherapy drug, added to chemotherapy
What this could lead to
If adding tislelizumab helps more people clear their tumors without surgery, it could offer a way to preserve the anus for rectal cancers very close to the anal opening.
What could go wrong
The trial is still testing whether tislelizumab adds benefit over standard chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy can cause immune-related side effects, and not everyone responds, so organ preservation may not be achievable for all participants.

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.

Phase

Phase 3

Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.

Participants

About 196 people

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

Started

Aug 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2030

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.

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: 1. Able to provide written informed consent, understand, and comply with the requirements and evaluation schedule. 2. Age ≥18 and ≤75 years old. 3. Histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma. 4. Immunohistochemistry confirmed pMMR (positive for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2), or PCR/NGS confirmed MSI-L or MSS. 5. Tumor distal margin confirmed to be ≤ 3 cm from the anal verge by colonoscopy, digital rectal examination, or MRI. 6. Clinical stage cT1-3N1M0 or cT3N0M0 (the 8th UICC/AJCC; T and N evaluated by MRI). 7. Resectable primary tumor assessed by the Investigator. 8. No prior anti-tumor treatment for rectal cancer. 9. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score ≤ 1. 10. Adequate organ function. 11. Female subjects with the ability to become pregnant must have a serum pregnancy test with a negative result within 72 hours before the first dose and be willing to use highly effective contraceptive methods during the trial and for 120 days after the last dose. Male subjects whose partners are women of childbearing potential should be surgically sterilized or agree to use a highly effective method of contraception during the trial and for 120 days after the last dose. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Histologically confirmed poorly differentiated/undifferentiated adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, or signet ring cell carcinoma. 2. Previously received treatment for rectal cancer or have evidence of distant metastasis. 3. Presence of the following high-risk factors assessed by MRI: MRF+, EMVI+, cN2, positive lateral lymph nodes, T3d. 4. Presence of or at high risk for obstruction, perforation, or bleeding. 5. Unsuitability for long-course radiotherapy. 6. Inability to tolerate surgery. 7. ≥ 2 colorectal cancer lesions at the same time. 8. Contraindications for MRI examination. 9. Other malignant tumors in the past or currently present. 10. Active autoimmune disease requiring systemic therapy within the past 2 years. 11. HIV infection. 12. Untreated chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers (HBV DNA \> 500 IU/mL) or active HCV carriers with detectable HCV RNA. 13. Hypersensitivity to any ingredient of tislelizumab, capecitabine, and oxaliplatin, or to any component of their containers. 14. Other conditions judged by the researcher as not meeting the enrollment requirements.

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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.

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

    RECRUITING

    Shanghai, China

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