Recruiting

Comparing different chemotherapy lengths before stomach cancer surgery

Plain-English translation of NCT04483076 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated January 2021 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether giving patients with advanced stomach cancer more cycles of chemotherapy before surgery leads to better outcomes. The chemotherapy combination being tested is called SOX (oxaliplatin combined with S-1). The study will compare patients who receive three cycles of this medication before surgery versus those who receive six cycles before surgery.

Doctors want to know if giving more chemotherapy before surgery helps patients with advanced stomach cancer live longer and have better survival rates, while also understanding the safety of the longer treatment approach.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 18 and 70 years old and able to be out of bed
you have been diagnosed with stage III stomach cancer confirmed by imaging and other tests
you are healthy enough to undergo major stomach surgery (D2 gastrectomy)
your blood counts and organ function (liver, kidney) are within acceptable ranges
your heart function is adequate and you have no uncontrolled serious medical conditions
you have not received chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy before

You likely don't qualify if…

you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use birth control during the study
you have received cancer treatment before this trial
you have a history of other cancers in the past five years
you have severe uncontrolled medical conditions such as heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, or severe infections
you have a known severe allergy to any of the chemotherapy drugs or have a specific genetic enzyme deficiency (DPD deficiency)

What participation looks like

All participants start by receiving three cycles of chemotherapy over several weeks. Then, doctors will evaluate how well the cancer responds using imaging scans. If your cancer responds well, you will be randomly assigned to either receive three more cycles of chemotherapy before surgery (Group A) or proceed directly to surgery (Group B). Both groups will have surgery to remove the stomach and surrounding tissue. After surgery, you will have follow-up visits to monitor your health, with disease-free survival tracked for three years and overall survival followed for five years.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 4, 2026 · Not medical advice

Comparing different chemotherapy lengths before stomach cancer surgery

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations