Recruiting

Adding abdominal chemotherapy to standard treatment for gastric cancer

Plain-English translation of NCT07001748 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated August 2026 · Translation generated September 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 adding paclitaxel—a chemotherapy drug injected directly into the abdominal cavity—alongside standard intravenous chemotherapy works better than standard chemotherapy alone for people with gastric cancer that has spread to the lining of the abdomen. You would be randomly assigned to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment combined with the medication delivered directly into the belly. The trial will follow you for up to 5 years to see how well this approach works and how safe it is.

Gastric cancer that spreads to the abdominal lining is very difficult to treat and has poor outcomes with standard chemotherapy alone. Researchers believe delivering chemotherapy directly to where the cancer is growing in the abdomen might help control the disease better and help people live longer.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are at least 18 years old
you have been diagnosed with gastric cancer or cancer of the junction between the esophagus and stomach that has spread to the lining of your abdomen
you have already received 3 to 6 months of standard first-line chemotherapy treatment
your cancer does not have specific genetic changes (microsatellite instability) that would make you ineligible
you are in good enough health to safely undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy procedure (a minimally invasive surgery to look inside the abdomen)

You likely don't qualify if…

you have evidence of cancer spread to other organs (except ovaries) or to distant lymph nodes that cannot be surgically removed
you have a bowel obstruction (other than from the original tumor blocking the stomach outlet)
you have a history of heart disease or have taken heart-damaging chemotherapy drugs, unless your heart function is still good
you have had prior abdominal surgery that would make it unsafe to place a port or perform laparoscopy
you have severe fluid buildup in your abdomen or have required multiple procedures to drain large amounts of fluid recently

What participation looks like

First, you would undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy (a minimally invasive procedure where doctors look inside your abdomen) to confirm your eligibility. You would then be randomly assigned to one of two groups: standard chemotherapy alone, or standard chemotherapy plus paclitaxel injected directly into your abdominal cavity through a small port placed during the procedure. If assigned to the combination treatment, you would receive chemotherapy infusions every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles. Throughout the trial, you would have regular blood tests, imaging scans, and follow-up visits every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for up to 5 years.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Sep 1, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(78 sites)

United States

UCI Health - Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care, Irvine, California

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California

UC Irvine Health/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, California

Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, Colorado

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov