View clinical trials related to Rectal Cancer.
Filter by:To demonstrate the effectiveness of epoetin alfa on reduction in red blood cell transfusions in gastric and rectal cancer patients undergoing preoperative chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery.
A combination of chemotherapy and radiation is often used to treat rectal cancer patients before surgery in an effort to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove as well as to help increase the chances of sphincter-sparing surgery. Many previous clinical studies have suggested that rectal cancer patients may survive longer if the surgery results in a pathological complete response - that is, the absence of any tumor cells in the surgical specimen. However, there is still controversy over this. This study attempts to start to answer this question by treating rectal cancer patients with a combination of chemotherapy drugs (oxaliplatin and capecitabine), a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme inhibitor and radiation before surgery. The rates of pathologic complete response, sphincter-sparing surgery, and disease-free survival are some of the therapeutic endpoints that will be studied.
The objectives of this study are to: 1. To assess dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of capecitabine +/- oxaliplatin in a combination regimen with capecitabine and radiotherapy (Phase 1) 2. To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) when capecitabine - oxaliplatin in a combination regimen with capecitabine and radiotherapy (Phase 1) 3. To determine the pathologic response rate of cetuximab +/- oxaliplatin in combination with capecitabine and radiotherapy (Phase 2)
Preoperative induction chemotherapy has been successfully used in a variety of malignancies and provides several advantages over postoperative therapy. Combination of 5-FU/Leucovorin/CPT-11 has demonstrated significantly better response rate than 5-FU/Leucovorin alone. Replacing 5-FU with oral capecitabine in combination with CPT-11 has emerged as a potentially more effective, safe and convenient treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. Capecitabine is also well tolerated in concurrent treatment with radiation. Recent data has shown that preoperative radiation appears to be significantly more effective in increasing resectability rates. This trial will investigate the activity of capecitabine and CPT-11 combination in the preoperative setting followed by chemoradiation with capecitabine in locally advanced rectal cancer to improve response and decrease local recurrence. We will also study whether TS, TP, DPD and carboxyesterase expressions correlate with the objective response rate with this chemotherapy and chemoradiation regimen.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 5-fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing and also as a radiosensibilisant. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. 5-fluorouracil may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Oral 5-fluorouracil is more convenient for ambulatory patients. Giving UFT (Tegafur and Uracil) with radiation therapy before surgery may shrink the tumor so it can be removed. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying how well giving UFT with radiation therapy works in treating patients who are undergoing surgery for operable rectal cancer.
This study will use an experimental combination of treatment with the drug Capecitabine and radiation therapy prior to an operation for removal of the patient's tumor. The drug Capecitabine is an oral form of a drug called 5-FU which has been widely used to treat rectal cancer. This is a phase II clinical trial, which means that the physician will be studying the reactions of the patient's body and tumor to treatment with Capecitabine and radiation therapy. The purpose of this study is to see if the tumor responds to this treatment and to determine how long the response lasts. The study also will see what kind of side effects this experimental treatment causes and see how often these side effects occur. Preliminary human studies using Capecitabine and radiation therapy have produced encouraging results with acceptable side effects.