Kidney-and-ureter removal with or without template lymph node removal for high-risk upper tract urothelial cancer
Official title: Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Radical Nephroureterectomy With Versus Without Template Lymph Node Dissection in High-Risk Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Run by Tianjin Medical University Second Hospital · NCT07321210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether adding a template lymph node removal to standard kidney-and-ureter surgery helps people with high-risk upper tract urothelial cancer live longer without the cancer coming back.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 150 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Tianjin Medical University Second Hospital Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | August 30, 2032 |
| Registry record updated | June 25, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07321210 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (age ≥18) with unilateral, resectable, high-risk non-metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma scheduled for radical nephroureterectomy who meet high-risk features such as cT2 or higher, high-grade biopsy, significant hydronephrosis, tumor >2 cm, or suspicious regional nodes are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with metastatic disease, unresectable tumors, low-risk UTUC, or medical conditions that make lymph node dissection unsafe are unlikely to benefit from this procedure.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a randomized trial comparing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with template lymph node dissection (TLND) versus RNU alone in patients with high-risk, non-metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Eligible patients are randomly assigned to one of the two surgical approaches, undergo the assigned operation, and are monitored for perioperative outcomes and complications. Follow-up visits with imaging and clinical checks occur regularly for five years, with the option for longer-term follow-up up to ten years to track disease-free and overall survival. Secondary measures include operative time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, and complication grades.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, adding a template lymph node dissection could improve disease-free and overall survival and help tailor further treatment for patients with high-risk UTUC.
How similar studies have gone: Retrospective and observational series have suggested possible diagnostic and therapeutic benefits from lymph node dissection in UTUC, but high-quality randomized evidence has been lacking until now.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Signed written informed consent form (ICF). * Age \> 18 years at the time of ICF signing. * Clinical diagnosis of unilateral Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC) by imaging (enhanced CT or MRI) and/or ureteroscopic biopsy/urinary cytology, and scheduled to undergo Radical Nephroureterectomy (RNU). * Clinical assessment indicating that the tumor and regional lymph nodes are completely resectable, with at least one of the following high-risk features: 1. Locally advanced: Preoperative imaging assessed as cT2 stage or higher (i.e., tumor invades muscularis propria or deeper). 2. High-grade: Preoperative ureteroscopic biopsy pathology confirmed as high-grade urothelial carcinoma (or with squamous differentiation/sarcomatoid differentiation). 3. Moderate or severe hydronephrosis: Ipsilateral moderate or severe hydronephrosis due to tumor obstruction. 4. Large tumor size: Imaging measures maximum tumor diameter \> 2 cm. 5. cN1: Imaging suggests regional lymph node short-axis diameter \> 1 cm, and the investigator judges it to be resectable. * Presence of at least one measurable lesion according to RECIST v1.1 criteria. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1. * Adequate organ function meeting the following requirements (without use of any blood components or colony-stimulating factors within 14 days): Bone marrow function: Neutrophils ≥ 1,500/mm³, Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm³, Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (5.6 mmol/L). Renal function: Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and/or Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min. Liver function: Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × ULN, AST \& ALT ≤ 1.5 × ULN. * For women of childbearing potential (WOCBP): Must agree to use a highly effective medically approved contraceptive method during the treatment period and for 3 months after treatment ends. A negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 7 days before enrollment is required; must be non-lactating. For non-sterilized male patients: Must agree to use effective contraception with their partner during the treatment period and for 3 months after treatment ends. * Subject voluntarily joins the study, has good compliance, and agrees to undergo safety and survival follow-up. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous receipt of any anti-tumor therapy for UTUC, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy. * History or concurrent presence of muscle-invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma. * Preoperative imaging assesses regional lymph nodes as unresectable: lymph nodes fused into a massive conglomerate, or fully encasing the abdominal aorta/inferior vena cava/pelvic vessels preventing safe separation. * Known bilateral UTUC or hereditary diseases that definitively increase the risk of contralateral upper tract tumors, such as Lynch Syndrome. * Diagnosis of other active malignancies within the past 5 years (except for adequately treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix which have been cured and show no recurrence within 5 years). * Presence of any active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease. * Current use of immunosuppressants for immunosuppressive purposes, continued within 2 weeks prior to enrollment. * Poorly controlled cardiac clinical symptoms or diseases. * Coagulation abnormalities or bleeding tendency. * Presence of specific active gastrointestinal conditions or uncontrolled tumor bleeding. * History of significant bleeding, hemoptysis, or thromboembolic events within specified timeframes. * Active infection or unexplained fever \> 38.5°C during screening or before the first dose. * Occurrence of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 4 weeks prior to surgery. * History or current objective evidence of pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial pneumonia, pneumoconiosis, radiation pneumonitis, drug-related pneumonia, severely impaired pulmonary function, etc. * Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency. * Participation in another clinical study within 1 month prior to enrollment, or potential receipt of other systemic anti-tumor therapy during the study period. * Known history of psychotropic drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or drug use. * Inability or unwillingness to bear the out-of-pocket costs of examinations and treatments. * Any other condition deemed by the investigator to make the subject unsuitable for participation.
Where it's running
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Tianjin Medical University Second Hospital
Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Changyi Quan, MD — Tianjin Medical University Second Hospital
- Study coordinator: Shimiao Zhu, MD, PhD
- Email: zhushimiao@tmu.edu.cn
- Phone: +86 88328607
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.