Clinical trial Recruiting at 4 sites Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Personalized biomarker-guided therapy to preserve organs in gastroesophageal cancer

Official title: AACR Adaptive Biomarker-Driven Organ Preservation Trial In Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinomas (AACR-ADOPT-GEA)

Run by American Association for Cancer Research · NCT07290985 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This trial tests a biomarker-driven treatment approach that combines chemotherapy, an immune therapy, and targeted drugs to see if some patients can avoid surgery.

More Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma trials

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment242 (estimated)
SponsorAmerican Association for Cancer Research
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy, radiation, doxorubicin, prednisone, immunotherapy
Locations4 sites (Los Angeles, California and 3 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJuly 20, 2026
Main results expectedJune 1, 2028
Study endsDecember 1, 2028
Registry record updatedOctober 5, 2026
Trial IDNCT07290985 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults with resectable gastric, esophageal, or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who meet biomarker and health criteria.

Probably not a fit

Patients whose tumors lack actionable biomarkers or who do not respond to the biomarker-guided regimens may not benefit.

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 two-stage, multi-center, biomarker-driven trial for resectable stomach, esophagus, or gastroesophageal junction cancers. In Stage I, patients may start standard chemotherapy while biomarker results are obtained, then receive a tailored combination therapy based on the biomarker profile, with the goal of a four-month preoperative period followed by surgery and up to one year of treatment. Stage II will explore whether effective regimens can validate predictive markers and allow some patients to safely skip surgery. The study uses tislelizumab, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and zanidatamab within a biomarker-guided framework to optimize organ preservation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could spare some patients from surgery by identifying who will respond to non-surgical regimens.

How similar studies have gone: Biomarker-driven, perioperative strategies have shown promise in other cancers, but this exact organ-preservation approach in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is investigational.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed, resectable adenocarcinoma of the stomach, esophagus, or gastroesophageal junction (Stage II or higher, T2N0 with high-risk features).
* Complete surgical resection deemed achievable by multidisciplinary evaluation.
* Willingness to undergo tumor biopsies for biomarker analysis (HER2, FGFR2b, PD-L1, MSI) at screening, progression, or pre/post- surgery.
* Life expectancy ≥ 24 weeks. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤1.
* Adequate organ function:

  * Hematologic: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5 ×10⁹/L, platelets ≥100 ×10⁹/L, hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
  * Hepatic: aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤2.5 × ULN, total bilirubin ≤1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤2.5 × ULN for Gilbert's)
  * Renal: creatinine ≤1.5 × ULN or creatinine clearance ≥50 mL/min/1.73 m²
* Willingness for blood samples to be drawn for research purposes.
* Baseline dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) testing per local guidelines; dosing of 5-FU adjusted for deficiency.
* Use of two effective contraception methods for women of childbearing potential and men during and 4 months after study; pregnant or breastfeeding women excluded.
* Must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
* Willingness and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study, including attending scheduled visits, examinations, the screening procedure, and having their tumor and blood molecularly characterized.
* Understands they must meet all Inclusion and Exclusion criteria in the sub-protocol for the treatment for which they will be later assigned

Additional inclusion criteria for all sub-studies:

• FFPE tumor sample tested at a central laboratory confirming PD-L1 Tumor Area Positivity (TAP) score ≥1%.

Additional inclusion criteria specific to HER2 sub-study:

* Histologically confirmed diagnosis of resectable (i.e., radical surgery eligible), HER2-positive (defined as 3+ HER2 expression by IHC or 2+ HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with in situ hybridization (ISH)-positivity per central assessment) adenocarcinoma of the stomach or esophagus, including the gastroesophageal junction.
* Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor sample tested at a central laboratory confirming HER2-positive status.
* Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% as determined by either echocardiogram or multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA).

Exclusion criteria:

* Unresectable disease, peritoneal dissemination, and/or positive cytology on laparoscopy.
* Peripheral neuropathy ≥ Grade 2.
* Active infection.
* Chronic growth factor support for white blood cells or granulocytes.
* Concurrent anti-cancer therapy (exceptions: supportive care medications ≥1 month prior, low molecular weight heparin, prior adjuvant hormonal therapy \>3 years, palliative radiation

  ≤14 days prior).
* Local/systemic therapy for current gastroesophageal diagnosis (except one FLOX/ mFOLFOX6 dose during screening).
* Significant medical conditions compromising safety or protocol compliance.
* Preexisting cardiac conditions.
* Stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or myocardial infarction within 6 months.
* Prior FGFR-targeted therapy.
* Prior HER2-targeted therapy (except \>5 years prior for breast cancer).
* Prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy (anti-PD-1/PD- L1/PD-L2).
* Conditions preventing safe surgery/biopsy.
* Malabsorption syndrome or inability to swallow oral medication.
* Pregnant or nursing women
* History of stem cell or organ transplant.
* Major surgery within 14 days.
* Other malignancy within 3 years (exceptions: basal/squamous cell carcinoma, in situ malignancy, low-risk prostate cancer).
* Systemic corticosteroids \>10 mg prednisone/ day or immunosuppressive therapy ≤14 days prior (exceptions: adrenal replacement, topical/ inhaled, short prophylactic courses).
* HIV with CD4 \<350, active hepatitis B or C.
* Active or relapsing autoimmune disease (exceptions: controlled type I diabetes, hypothyroidism on replacement, controlled celiac disease, mild skin disease, other non- recurrent diseases).

Additional exclusion criteria for all sub-studies:

* History of hypersensitivity or contraindications to any active substance/active ingredient of any study medication, including chemotherapy components monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, and/or any of the excipients listed in the ingredients of any drug formulation
* Poorly controlled seizures
* Clinically significant bleeding (CTCAE ≥ Grade 3) from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
* Administered a live vaccine ≤ 4 weeks prior to enrollment
* History of interstitial lung disease or non-infectious pneumonitis, or with severe dyspnea at rest or requiring supplementary oxygen therapy.
* Treated with another investigational product within 28 days of enrolment.

Exclusion criteria specific to HER2 sub-study:

* Total lifetime anthracycline load exceeding 360 mg/m² of doxorubicin or equivalent
* QTc Fridericia (QTcF) \>470 ms. Note: For subjects with longer QTcF on initial electrocardiogram (ECG), follow-up ECG may be performed in triplicate to determine eligibility (e.g., after correction of electrolyte abnormalities, or discontinuation of QT-prolonging drugs).
* Ongoing Grade 2 or greater diarrhea

Where it's running

  • University of California, Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Yale University
    New Haven, Connecticut, United States
    Recruiting
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center
    Houston, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.