Could smarter surgery spare lymph nodes in esophageal cancer?
NCT ID NCT07697898
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
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About 400 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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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.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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