Radiation therapy to help immune therapy work better for advanced digestive cancers

This trial is testing whether radiation therapy can help immune therapy work better in patients with advanced cancers of the digestive system (esophagus, stomach, colon, pancreas, liver, and other GI organs) that have stopped responding to immune checkpoint inhibitor medications. The idea is that radiation therapy to some of the tumors might trigger the immune system to attack cancer throughout the body, not just the areas being radiated. Researchers will measure whether the treatment can slow or shrink the cancer and improve survival.

Many patients with advanced digestive cancers initially respond well to immune therapy, but eventually the cancer stops responding and starts growing again. This trial exists to see if combining radiation therapy with ongoing immune therapy can 'wake up' the immune system and help it fight back against cancer that has become resistant to the medication alone.