Combination drug therapy before surgery for esophageal cancer

Plain-English translation of NCT05281003 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated July 2023 · Translation generated July 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 —an immunotherapy drug that helps your immune system fight cancer—combined with two chemotherapy medications ( and ) given before surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers want to see if adding this medication to standard chemotherapy helps more patients achieve a complete response (where tumors shrink dramatically or disappear) before their surgery. The study also investigates why some patients respond better to this treatment than others, looking at how oxygen levels in tumors might affect how well the medication works.

Currently, standard treatment for advanced esophageal cancer is chemotherapy before surgery, but doctors want to improve survival rates. This medication works differently than traditional chemotherapy by jumpstarting the immune system, and combining it with chemotherapy may be more effective than chemotherapy alone.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are at least 18 years old
you have been diagnosed with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma that has not been treated yet
your tumor is large enough to measure and can be surgically removed
you are in good overall health (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 1)
you have adequate organ function based on recent blood tests
you are willing to provide a tumor tissue sample for research

You likely don't qualify if…

you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use contraception during and after treatment
you have received prior immunotherapy drugs (like other checkpoint inhibitors)
you have received chemotherapy or other cancer treatments within the past 4 weeks
you have received radiation therapy within the past 2 weeks
you have received a live vaccine within the past 30 days

What participation looks like

You would receive four cycles of treatment, with each cycle lasting 3 weeks. During each cycle, you would receive three intravenous infusions on the same day: , , and . After completing these four cycles, you would be evaluated to see if you are ready for surgery. If surgery is not appropriate, you may continue receiving the medication for up to 17 additional cycles (about one year). The trial will also involve blood tests, imaging scans, and tumor biopsies to monitor your response and understand how the treatment is working.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 21, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(2 sites)

China

Fudan University Cancer Center, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality

Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality