Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Radiation Therapy With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Phase III Trial Evaluating the Addition of Cetuximab to Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Radiation for Patients With Esophageal Cancer Who Are Treated Without Surgery

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Cetuximab may stop the growth of esophageal cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether giving paclitaxel and cisplatin together with radiation therapy is more effective with or without cetuximab in treating esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is comparing how well giving paclitaxel and cisplatin together with radiation therapy works with or without cetuximab in treating patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• To evaluate whether the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy comprising paclitaxel, cisplatin, and radiotherapy improves overall survival compared with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and radiotherapy alone in patients with esophageal cancer treated without surgery.

Secondary

• To evaluate whether the addition of cetuximab to paclitaxel, cisplatin, and radiotherapy improves local control by increasing the clinical complete response and decreasing local recurrence in these patients.

• To evaluate adverse events in these patients.

• To evaluate endoscopic complete response rates in these patients.

• To evaluate if the addition of cetuximab to paclitaxel, cisplatin, and radiotherapy improves the Esophageal Cancer Subscale (ECS) score of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Esophagus (FACT-E) quality of life tool.

• To evaluate the quality-adjusted survival of each treatment arm using EQ-5D if the primary endpoint supports the primary hypothesis.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to histology (adenocarcinoma vs squamous), cancer lesion size (< 5 cm vs ≥ 5 cm), and disease status of celiac nodes (present vs absent). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Esophageal Cancer
• Esophageal Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT00655876
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: June 2008
• Completion date: May 20, 2022