Combining camrelizumab with chemotherapy for esophageal cancer treatment

A Randomized, Controlled, Phase II Study of Perioperative Camrelizumab Combined With Albumin Paclitaxel and Cisplatin in Patients With Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This study is testing if combining a new immune therapy with chemotherapy can help patients with esophageal cancer feel better and live longer before and after surgery.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 130 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 80 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Academic / other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, prednisone, camrelizumab
• Locations: 1 site (Zhengzhou, Henan)
• Trial ID: NCT05182944 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of camrelizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, in combination with albumin paclitaxel and cisplatin as a perioperative treatment for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). It is a randomized, controlled phase II trial targeting patients with advanced ESCC who have not received prior anti-tumor treatment. The study aims to improve outcomes for patients undergoing surgery by assessing the impact of this combination therapy on tumor response and overall survival.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults aged 18-80 with histologically confirmed resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and specific clinical staging.

Not a fit: Patients with non-resectable esophageal cancer or those who have received prior anti-tumor treatments may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment approach could significantly improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations, this specific approach is novel and has not been extensively tested in this context.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:-

1. Aged 18-80 years, males or females；
2. Histologically or cytologically confirmed as ESCC；
3. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma without anti-tumor treatment, and the clinical stage is T1b-2N+M0 or T3-4aN+/-M0 (AJCC/UICC TNM staging system 8th edition);
4. It can provide tumor tissue for the detection of PD-L1 expression level;
5. Follow-up surgery plan: radical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma surgery with esophagogastric reconstruction combined with at least complete 2 field lymph node dissection;
6. ECOG: 0\~1;
7. Expected survival time ≥ 12 weeks;
8. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 18.5kg/m2 or pg-sga score A / B;
9. 1）White blood cell count (WBC) ≥3.0 × 109/L, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5 × 109/L, platelet (PLT) count ≥100×109/L, hemoglobin (HGB) ≥90 g/L, No blood transfusion or other hematopoietic factor treatment for the previous 14 days； 2）Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤2.5×upper limit of normal (ULN); serum total bilirubin (TBIL) ≤1.5×ULN ; Albumin (ALB) ≥30g/L; 3）Serum creatinine (CRE)≤1.0×ULN, creatinine clearance (Ccr)≥60 mL/min (Cockcroft-Gault formula); 4）International normalized ratio (INR) ≤ 1.5, prothrombin time (PT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN;
10. Important organ functions: a) Heart function: normal or grade I; b) Lung function: FEV1\>1.2L, FEV1% \>40%; c) Liver function: Child-Pugh grade 5-6 points;
11. For premenopausal women (postmenopausal women must have been postmenopausal for at least 12 months to be considered infertile), the serum pregnancy test result is negative. Male subjects (including male subjects' female spouses of childbearing age) and female subjects of childbearing age must contraception from the first study drug administration to 6 months after the last study drug administration；
12. Obtain the informed consent signed by the subject or his legal representative;
13. Can cooperate to complete research procedures and follow-up inspections。

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma;
2. Combined with cervical, supraclavicular, abdominal, retroperitoneal and pelvic lymph node metastasis (except pericardial lymph node metastasis and left gastric lymph node metastasis);
3. Previously received anti-tumor therapy for the primary disease (including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis therapy, radiotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, etc.) and other research treatments, except for Chinese patent medicines or Chinese herbal medicines stopped for more than 7 days ；
4. Previously received anti-tumor therapy for the primary disease (including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis therapy, radiotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, etc.) and other research treatments, except for Chinese patent medicines or Chinese herbal medicines stopped for more than 7 days ；
5. Previously active, potentially relapsed or undiagnosed autoimmune diseases, skin diseases (vitiligo, psoriasis, alopecia) without systemic treatment, well controlled type I diabetes, hypothyroidism (only thyroid hormone replacement therapy), and other diseases that were not expected to relapse under external stimulation were included.
6. History of allogeneic stem cell transplantation or organ transplantation;
7. Complicated with interstitial pneumonia or interstitial lung disease, non infectious pneumonia;
8. History of gastrointestinal perforation and/or fistula, abdominal abscess, visceral fistula, intestinal obstruction (including incomplete intestinal obstruction requiring parenteral nutrition), inflammatory bowel disease or extensive within 6 months before the first study drug administration bowel resection (including partial colectomy or extensive small bowel resection with chronic diarrhea), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or chronic diarrhea;
9. Major operations (except puncture and biopsy) or major trauma were performed ≤ 28 days before the administration of the first study drug;
10. Have vaccinated or plan to vaccinate live vaccine within 28 days before the first study drug administration;
11. Use corticosteroids (\>10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent dose) or other immunosuppressive agents within 14 days before the first study drug administration. Inhalation, ophthalmic, intra-articular, intranasal or topical corticosteroids can be used prophylactically for short-term (≤7 days) use of corticosteroids (for example, to prevent allergy to contrast agents) or for the treatment of non-autoimmune conditions (for example, delayed hypersensitivity caused by contact with allergens)
12. Infectious diseases that affect activities of daily living or require systemic treatment (such as the use of hormones, antibiotics, antifungal drugs, antiviral drugs, and oxygen inhalation) within 14 days before the first study drug administration, including but not limited to the need Hospitalized infections, bacteremia, severe pneumonia, etc.;
13. Combined with the following diseases that have not been well controlled, such as: a) New York Heart Association (NYHA) ≥ Grade 2 heart failure, b) Severe/Unstable Angina, c) Myocardial infarction ≤ 6 months before study administration, d) Severe arrhythmia requiring medication or intervention, e) Uncontrollable hypertension, f) Occurrence/combined arterial and/or venous thromboembolism ≤2 months before the first study administration, g) ≤6 before the first study administration A cerebrovascular accident occurred within a month, h) diabetes that has not been effectively controlled, i) thyroid disease that has not been effectively controlled, j) urine protein ≥ 2+ and 24-hour urine protein quantification ≥ 1.0g;
14. Tuberculosis (TB) who has received anti-tuberculosis treatment within 1 year before receiving/receiving/first study administration;
15. Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV1/2 antibody positive);
16. Acute or chronic active hepatitis B and / or hepatitis C: positive for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) / positive for hepatitis B virus core antibody (HBcAb) and positive for hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA \>2000 IU/ml or 103 copies /ml), if HBsAg/HB cAb positive, HBV DNA less than 2000 IU/ml or 103 copies of /ml can be entered, but entecavir or other anti HBV drugs should be taken simultaneously; hepatitis C virus (positive) antibody is positive and HBV copies;
17. Pregnant or lactating women;
18. Complicated with other malignant tumors ≤5 years before the first study drug administration, various cancers in situ, skin basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma that have been cured in the past, local prostate cancer after radical resection, and catheters after radical resection except for carcinoma in situ;
19. Combined with other severe, acute, chronic or mental illness that may increase the risk of study medication or may interfere with the interpretation of the study results, the presence of alcoholism, drug abuse, or drug abuse, and other conditions that are not conducive to study drug administration, drug toxicity or adverse events (AE) Circumstances that lead to a decrease in the compliance of research behavior;
20. Other circumstances that the researcher considers inappropriate to participate in the study.

Where this trial is running

Zhengzhou, Henan

• The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University — Zhengzhou, Henan, China (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Song Zhao — The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
• Study coordinator: Song Zhao

Conditions Esophageal Cancer; ESCC, perioperative, immune checkpoint inhibitor