Recruiting

New immune-boosting drugs with chemotherapy and radiation for rectal cancer

Plain-English translation of NCT05024097 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated July 2026 · Translation generated August 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether two new immune-boosting medications— and —work better when combined with standard radiation therapy and chemotherapy for rectal cancer. You would receive a short course of radiation along with one of these medications, followed by several months of chemotherapy combined with both medications. After treatment, your doctors would assess how well the cancer has responded before deciding on surgery.

Standard treatment for rectal cancer involves radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, but researchers want to see if adding these new immune-boosting medications can help the body fight the cancer more effectively and improve survival rates.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with rectal cancer that has not spread to distant parts of your body
you are at least 18 years old and in good enough health to tolerate treatment
you have not received prior radiation therapy to your pelvis
you have not had chemotherapy or surgery for rectal cancer before
your blood counts and organ function are normal enough for treatment

You likely don't qualify if…

you have cancer that has recurred or come back
you have had previous pelvic radiation therapy
your kidney function is significantly abnormal
you have an active infection requiring antibiotics
you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during treatment

What participation looks like

You would start by receiving five days of radiation therapy while taking one of the new medications daily. After a short break, you would then receive nine cycles of chemotherapy (spread over several months) combined with both new medications. Around week 22–24, your doctors would perform imaging and exams to see how well the treatment worked. Finally, you would undergo surgery to remove the remaining cancer, with tissue samples examined to evaluate your response to treatment.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Aug 3, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(3 sites)

United States

Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York

Brooklyn Methodist Hospital - NewYork Presbyterian, New York, New York

New York Presbyterian Hospital - Queens, New York, New York