Assessment of Response to nCRT for GEJ Cancer Using a Fully Integrated PET/MRI (Escape)

February 4, 2026 updated by: Francesco De Cobelli, IRCCS San Raffaele

Prediction of Assessment of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemo-Radio-Therapy (nCRT) for Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer (GEJ) Using a Fully Integrated PET/MRI

Evaluate the potential role of PET/MRI as a predictor of esophageal and junctional cancers in response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a prospective, observational single center study which plans to enroll patients with biopsy proven potentially resectable esophageal or junctional cancer scheduled to receive nCRT (CROSS regimen) prior to surgery.

The study aims to evaluate Routine pre-treatment work-up includes PET to stage the tumour extension.

  • PET/MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) will replace the PET component of CT(computed tomography)
  • An additional intermediate 18-FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose) PET/MRI will be performed during nCRT
  • Post nCRT imaging, as required prior to surgery, will be PET/MRI six weeks after treatment completion.
  • 8-12 weeks post nCRT completion surgery will be performed, based on each patient's performance status and response to nCRT
  • Histopathological samples of the excised tumor and lymph nodes will be used for diagnosis, staging and description of qualitative and quantitative parameters Routine clinical and radiological follow-up for 24 months (for the scope of this study) will follow the standard clinical workflow assigned to this group of patients.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
121

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Italy
      • Milan, Italy, 20132
        • Deaprtment of Radiology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • biopsy-proven esophageal or junctional carcinomas (either adenocarcinoma (AC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) for which an Ivor-Lewis transthoracic esophagectomy with supramesocolic and mediastinal lymphadenectomy is indicated;
  • visible tumor on pre-treatment imaging;
  • ≥ 18 years of age;
  • signed informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - incomplete preoperative imaging assessment;
  • contraindications to neoadjuvant treatment;
  • contraindications to preoperative imaging (such as pacemaker, allergy to contrast agents);
  • inability to complete imaging examinations (i.e. severe claustrophobia);
  • contraindication to surgery (comorbidities, distant metastatic disease (imaging confirmed));
  • pregnant or lactating women
  • severe hypersensitivity to gadobutrol or fludeoxyglucose F18.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Hybrid PET/MRI
For the purposes of the study, in addition to standard imaging (EUS and CT scan), a fully integrated hybrid PET/MRI (PET/MRI) study with FDG will replace the Standard PET (pre-surgical evaluation) used for evaluating distant metastases and will be considered as the add-on procedure at three time points. The additional evaluation for patients is that during nCRT treatment.
Other: hybrid PET/MRI
An additional intermediate 18-FDG PET/MRI will be performed during neoadjuvant chemo-radiation therapy. Routine pre-treatment work-up PET/MRI will replace PET alone.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Response to neoadjuvant treatment -MRI
Time Frame: 0-36 months
MRI component including Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE); quantitative evaluation and delta between timepoints
0-36 months
Response to neoadjuvant treatment -PET
Time Frame: 0-36 months
PET component -quantitative evaluation and delta between timepoints
0-36 months
Response to neoadjuvant treatment - Histology
Time Frame: 0-36 months
Evaluate degree of tumor regression after neoadjuvant therapy according to the Mandard Tumour regression grade ; integrated Immunohistochemistry
0-36 months
Response to neoadjuvant treatment -Radiomics
Time Frame: 0-36 months
Radiomic features extracted from hybrid imaging
0-36 months
Imaging parameters as potential predictors of tumor response
Time Frame: 0- 48 months
Select imaging parameters that can be considered potential predictors of the responder/non-responder status assessment
0- 48 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Early regression model (ERI)
Time Frame: 0- 60 months
Evaluate the ERI model as a predictor of histological response (TRG grade) based on MRI tumor volume assessment
0- 60 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
IRCCS San Raffaele

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Francesco De Cobelli, MD, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 8, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 2, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 20, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 21, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Escape

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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