New combo therapy aims to boost survival in tough rectal cancer
NCT ID NCT07549399
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This Phase 3 trial tests whether adding immunotherapy and a targeted drug to short-course radiotherapy and chemotherapy improves outcomes for people with high-risk rectal cancer. About 204 participants will receive either the standard treatment or the intensified combo. The study aims to see if the new approach can reduce cancer recurrence and improve survival.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Short-course radiotherapy, chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6), immunotherapy (PD-1 antibody), and targeted therapy (cetuximab or bevacizumab based on genetic type)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a more effective neoadjuvant treatment for high-risk rectal cancer, potentially improving survival and reducing recurrence.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage Phase 3 trial with no results yet. The intense combination therapy may cause significant side effects, and benefits over standard care are not guaranteed.
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
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 204 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2029
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.
- 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: 1. Before conducting procedures related to the research protocol but not part of routine care, written informed consent, voluntarily signed and dated by the subject, must be obtained in accordance with regulations and institutional guidelines. 2. Age 18-75 years. 3. Histologically or cytologically confirmed pMMR/MSS rectal adenocarcinoma; all other histological types are excluded. 4. Distance from the lower margin of the rectal tumor to the anal verge ≤10 cm. 5. Clinical staging with high-risk factors, including cT3Nx, EMVI(+), or cT4, ±MRF(+), ±EMVI(+). 6. No evidence of distant metastasis before treatment. 7. No prior anti-cancer treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy). 8. ECOG performance status of 0-1. 9. Peripheral blood counts and liver and kidney function within the following allowable ranges (tested within 15 days before the start of treatment): * White blood cells (WBC) ≥3.0×10\^9/L or absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5×10\^9/L; * Hemoglobin (HGB) ≥80 g/L; ③Platelets (PLT) ≥100×10\^9/L; ④Liver transaminases (AST/ALT) \<3.0 times the upper limit of the normal range; ⑤Total bilirubin (TBIL) \<1.5 times the upper limit of the normal range; ⑥Creatinine (CREAT) \<1.5 times the upper limit of the normal range. 10. No history of other malignancies; not pregnant or breastfeeding, and effective contraception must be used during the study period and for 6 months after the last dose. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with a history of severe drug allergies (including allergies to platinum agents, 5-FU, LV, and 5-HT3 receptor antagonists); 2. Patients who have participated in or are currently participating in other clinical trials within 4 weeks prior to enrollment; 3. A history of having received anti-PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA-4, or any other specific T-cell costimulatory or checkpoint pathway-targeted therapy; 4. Severe electrolyte abnormalities; 5. Presence of gastrointestinal diseases, such as active ulcers in the stomach or duodenum, ulcerative colitis, or tumors with active bleeding that have not been resected; or other conditions that may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation; or gastrointestinal perforation that has not healed after surgical treatment; 6. History of arterial thrombosis or deep vein thrombosis within 6 months; history of bleeding or evidence of bleeding tendency within 2 months; or patients receiving high-dose anticoagulation therapy; 7. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women of childbearing potential with a positive pregnancy test before the first dose; or female participants and their partners who are unwilling to strictly practice contraception during the study period; 8. Presence of other active malignancies (except for malignancies that have been treated with curative intent and have been disease-free for more than 3 years, or in situ cancers that can be cured with adequate treatment); 9. Presence of severe ECG abnormalities or active coronary artery disease, severe/unstable angina, newly diagnosed angina or myocardial infarction within 12 months prior to study entry, or New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II or higher congestive heart failure; 10. Patients with active infections (infections causing fever above 38°C); 11. Patients with uncontrolled hypercalcemia, hypertension, or diabetes; 12. Patients with severe pulmonary diseases (interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, severe emphysema, etc.); 13. Patients with psychiatric disorders that may affect clinical treatment or a history of central nervous system diseases; 14. Patients with severe complications (bowel obstruction, renal insufficiency, hepatic insufficiency, cerebrovascular disorders, etc.); 15. Presence of any CTCAE Grade 2 or higher toxicity caused by previous treatments that has not resolved (excluding anemia, alopecia, and skin pigmentation); 16. Any unstable medical condition that may affect patient safety and compliance with the study; 17. Patients deemed by the investigator as unsuitable for participation in this clinical trial.
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
RECRUITINGGuangzhou, Guangdong, 510065, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a counseling program restore intimacy after rectal cancer?