NCT04229459

Brief Summary

This is a phase II, open label, two-centered study for evaluation of the addition of nivolumab and cetuximab after chemoradiation as a neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Subjects must have received no prior treatment for esophageal cancer (chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery) and no prior treatment with checkpoint inhibitors. Eligible subjects will receive induction chemotherapy with cetuximab for a period of 4 weeks, chemoradiation with cetuximab for a period of 6 weeks, 3 cycles of immunotherapy (nivolumab + cetuximab) for a period of 6 weeks, and will undergo surgery at the end of the treatment.

Trial Health

75
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
12

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_2

Timeline
10mo left

Started Feb 2020

Longer than P75 for phase_2

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
active not recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress89%
Feb 2020Apr 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

January 13, 2020

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

January 18, 2020

Completed
29 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

February 16, 2020

Completed
2.7 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

October 12, 2022

Completed
4.5 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

April 4, 2027

Expected
Last Updated

January 14, 2026

Status Verified

January 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

2.7 years

First QC Date

January 13, 2020

Last Update Submit

January 12, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

Esophageal CancerEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaCetuximabNivolumab

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

  • pathological complete response (pCR) rate

    pCR is defined when no tumor is found on pathology review of the surgical specimen (TRG -0)

    Time from start of neoadjuvant treatment until surgical resection, assessed up to 24 months

  • Modified pathological complete response

    We defined a novel primary endpoint, combining pathological complete response (pCR) rate among operated patients and long-term (≥12 months) clinical complete response (cCR) rate for those electing watchful waiting, into a composite endpoint of modified pCR (mpCR) rate.

    Time from start of neoadjuvant treatment until surgical resection in operated patients (pCR) and long-term (≥12 months) clinical complete response (cCR) in unoperated patients, assessed up to 24 months.

  • Progression Free Survival (PFS)

    PFS will be censored in patients without loco-regional failure, metastatic recurrence or death, at the last date known to be alive or at the start of a new anti-cancer treatment, whatever occurs first. PFS rate will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method

    The time interval from the first day of treatment to the first event of loco-regional failure, metastatic recurrence or death from any cause, assessed up to 66 months

  • Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (Safety)

    Treatment-emergent AEs will be graded according to NCI CTCAE v5.0, vital signs and clinical laboratory

    Time from screening until the end of study drug administration, assessed up to 24 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Overall survival (OS)

    The time interval between the first day of treatment and the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 66 months

Study Arms (1)

Neoadjuvant Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

All subjects will receive induction chemotherapy and chemoradiation combined with cetuximab followed by nivolumab and cetuximab as neoadjuvant treatment

Drug: CisplatinDrug: 5-FURadiation: Radiation therapyDrug: CetuximabDrug: Nivolumab

Interventions

Cisplatin 100mg/m2 IV on day 1 of induction chemotherapy, 75mg/m2 IV on day 1 and 29 of chemoradiation

Neoadjuvant Treatment
5-FUDRUG

5-FU 1000mg/m2/d IV on days 1-5 of induction chemotherapy, 1000mg/m2/d IV on days 1-4 and days 29-32 of chemoradiation

Neoadjuvant Treatment

1.8 Gy/fraction, 5 days a week for a total of 28 days

Neoadjuvant Treatment

Cetuximab 400mg/m2 IV on day 1 followed by 250mg/m2 IV weekly on induction chemotherapy, 250mg/m2 IV weekly on chemoradiation, 500mg/m2 IV on day 1 of each treatment cycle, every two weeks during immunotherapy

Also known as: Erbitux
Neoadjuvant Treatment

Nivolumab 3mg/kg IV on day 1 of each treatment cycle, every two weeks during immunotherapy

Also known as: Opdivo
Neoadjuvant Treatment

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Signed written IRB approved informed consent.
  • Age \> 18 years.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-1
  • Subjects with histologically confirmed operable, primary (non-recurrent) locally advanced (T3NxM0, TxN1M0) middle (distal to the thoracic inlet) or distal (up to the gastroesophageal junction) ESqCC according to endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and PET-CT.
  • No prior systemic or radiation therapy for esophageal cancer.
  • Presence of adequate contraception in fertile patients.
  • Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of HCG) within 24 hours prior to the start of study drug.
  • Women must not be breastfeeding.
  • No previous (within the last 5 years) or concurrent malignancies, with the exception of adequately treated cone-biopsied in situ carcinoma of the cervix or basal cell carcinoma of the skin.

You may not qualify if:

  • Cervical esophageal tumors or tumors \< 5 cm from the cricopharyngeal cartilage.
  • Gastric cancers with minor involvement of the GEJ or distal esophagus, or an esophageal tumor extending beyond 2 cm into the stomach.
  • Prior chest or upper abdomen radiotherapy, prior systemic chemotherapy within the past 5 years or prior esophageal or gastric surgery.
  • Patients with evidence of metastatic disease.
  • Biopsy proven tumor invasion of the tracheobronchial tree or presence of tracheo-esophageal (TE) fistula or recurrent laryngeal nerve or phrenic nerve paralysis.
  • New York Heart Association Class III or IV heart disease. Angina or myocardial infarction within the last 12 months, history of significant ventricular arrhythmia requiring medication with antiarrhythmics, or a history of a clinically significant conduction system abnormality.
  • Clinically significant hearing loss.
  • Patients with a history of seizure disorder who are receiving phenytoin, phenobarbital, or other antiepileptic medication.
  • Any positive test for hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus indicating active infection.
  • Ongoing immunosuppressive therapy.
  • Active autoimmune disease. \[Subjects with type I diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism only requiring hormone replacement, skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis, or alopecia) not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger are permitted to enroll\].
  • Prior organ transplant.
  • Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-CTLA-4 antibody, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways.
  • Known history of positive test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Rabin Medical Center

Petah Tikva, Israel

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Esophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaEsophageal Neoplasms

Interventions

CisplatinFluorouracilRadiotherapyCetuximabNivolumab

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Carcinoma, Squamous CellCarcinomaNeoplasms, Glandular and EpithelialNeoplasms by Histologic TypeNeoplasmsNeoplasms, Squamous CellGastrointestinal NeoplasmsDigestive System NeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteHead and Neck NeoplasmsDigestive System DiseasesEsophageal DiseasesGastrointestinal Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chlorine CompoundsInorganic ChemicalsNitrogen CompoundsPlatinum CompoundsUracilPyrimidinonesPyrimidinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHeterocyclic CompoundsTherapeuticsAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodiesImmunoglobulinsImmunoproteinsBlood ProteinsProteinsAmino Acids, Peptides, and ProteinsSerum GlobulinsGlobulins

Study Officials

  • Baruch Brenner, Prof

    Rabin Medical Center

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Director of the Oncology Division and the Davidoff Cancer Center

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

January 13, 2020

First Posted

January 18, 2020

Study Start

February 16, 2020

Primary Completion

October 12, 2022

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 4, 2027

Last Updated

January 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations