Study of Sequential Systemic Therapy + Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel in Gastric/GEJ Peritoneal Carcinomatosis (STOPGAP)

January 30, 2026 updated by: Maheswari Senthil, MD, University of California, Irvine

Phase II Trial of Sequential Systemic Therapy Plus Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel in Gastric/GEJ Cancer Peritoneal Carcinomatosis (STOPGAP)

This is a phase II clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of sequential systemic and intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy in patients with primary gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer with cytology positive peritoneal lavage and/or peritoneal carcinomatosis.

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

Patients with histologically proven primary gastric or gastroesophageal junction (Siewert 3) adenocarcinoma with positive peritoneal cytology or peritoneal carcinomatosis detected by laparoscopy, laparotomy or imaging and without evidence of distant organ metastasis will be eligible for this study. Patients will undergo systemic therapy for 3-4 months at the discretion of the medical oncologist based on molecular makers (PD-L1, HER -2 neu, MSI). Patients without distant organ metastatic progression after completion of systemic chemotherapy, will undergo diagnostic laparoscopy and IP port placement. IP regimen will consist of IV Paclitaxel, 5- FU and Leucovorin and IP Paclitaxel. Paclitaxel 40 mg/m2 will be instilled into the peritoneal cavity through the IP port on days 1 and 8, repeated every 21 days for 3 months (3-4 cycles). Restaging imaging with CT and /or diffusion weighted MRI with contrast will be obtained 4-6 weeks after completion of IP chemotherapy. Based on response and extent of disease, patients will be triaged to one of the following treatment plans: stable disease or response and PCI >10 - continue IP chemotherapy regimen, progression - switch to second line regimen, response with PCI ≤ 10 and complete cytoreduction is feasible - consider cytoreduction surgery (CRS) with intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPEC).

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 (Estimated)

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.
40

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.
  • Phase 2

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.
  • Name: University of California, Irvine Medical Center

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center University of California, Irvine
  • Phone Number: 1-877-827-7883
  • Email: ucstudy@uci.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Orange, California, United States, 92868
        • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine

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 to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed primary gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma and have received a minimum of three months of first line systemic treatment without visceral metastatic progression
  • Must have peritoneal cytology positive disease or peritoneal carcinomatosis detected by imaging, laparoscopy or laparotomy
  • Age ≥ 18 -75 years
  • Performance status: ECOG performance status ≤ 2 (Appendix A) . ECOG 2 allowed is attributed to malignancy (rather than comorbidities)
  • Life expectancy of greater than 6 months

  • Adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:

    1. Leukocytes: ≥ 2,000/mcL
    2. Absolute Neutrophil Count: ≥ 1,500/mcL
    3. Platelets: ≥ 80,000/mcL
    4. Total Bilirubin: within normal institutional limits
    5. AST(SGOT)/ALT(SPGT): ≤5 X institutional upper limit of normal
    6. Creatinine: < 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
    7. Hemoglobin: > 8.0 g/dL (may be transfused)
    8. Serum albumin: ≥ g/dL
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Systemic treatment for unresectable or metastatic disease for more than three months prior to enrollment
  • Any evidence of distant, solid organ metastases (visceral (liver, lung, brain), bone, extra-abdominal)
  • Any evidence of extensive retroperitoneal lymph node metastases not amenable to resection during gastrectomy
  • Any evidence of small or large bowel obstruction with the exception of gastric outlet obstruction due to primary malignancy

  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, the following conditions:

    1. Ongoing or active infection
    2. Symptomatic congestive heart failure
    3. Stroke (including transient ischemic attack [TIA]), myocardial infarction (MI), or other ischemic event,) within 3 months before initiation of treatment
    4. Unstable angina pectoris
    5. Cardiac arrhythmia
  • History of another primary cancer within the last 3 years with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, early-stage prostate cancer, or curatively treated cervical carcinoma in-situ and not treated with systemic therapy.
  • Inability to comply with study and follow-up procedures as judged by the Investigator
  • Patients must not be pregnant or nursing due to the potential for congenital abnormalities and the potential of this regimen to harm nursing infants.Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 90 days following completion of therapy. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Prior surgery that would preclude safe diagnostic laparoscopy and port placement
  • Has a known history of active tuberculosis (TB; Bacillus tuberculosis).
  • Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the participant's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator

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: Treatment
  • 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.
Experimental: SingleArm: Systemic therapy and IP Paclitaxel in Gastric/GEJ Cancer Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
Patients will receive sequential intraperitoneal paclitaxel along with intravenous paclitaxel, 5-FU, and leucovorin on Days 1 and 8 of every 21 day cycle for 3 months.
Drug: Leucovorin
IV Leucovorin
Drug: Paclitaxel
Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel
Drug: Paclitaxel
IV Paclitaxel
Drug: Fluorouracil
IV 5-FU
Other Names:
  • 5-FU

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
Participants with Progression Free Survival at 1-Year
Time Frame: 1 year
Progression-free survival is defined as the duration of time from start of systemic treatment to time of progression, death, or clinical deterioration attributed to disease progression as judged by the investigator. Radiographic progression is defined using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) as a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions and an absolute increase of at least 5 mm and/or appearance of new lesions.
1 year
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety]
Time Frame: From date of study treatment initiation to first date of disease progression, toxicity, delay of treatment, or withdrawal of treatment, assessed up to 12 months after the last patient is enrolled.
To evaluate the safety of IP paclitaxel and IV paclitaxel, 5-FU, and leucovorin in patients with primary gastric/GEJ adenocarinoma with peritoneal carcinomatosis determined by the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events. Adverse events are based on the CTCAE (NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) Version 5.0.
From date of study treatment initiation to first date of disease progression, toxicity, delay of treatment, or withdrawal of treatment, assessed up to 12 months after the last patient is enrolled.

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
Overall Survival of Participants
Time Frame: From initiation of systemic treatment to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled or until death from any cause.
To assess the overall survival of participants from the start of systemic treatment to the death from any cause.
From initiation of systemic treatment to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled or until death from any cause.
Patient Reported Quality of Life Outcomes
Time Frame: From initiation of study treatment until patient is off study, assessed up to 12 months after the last patient has started treatment.
To assess the quality of life of participants such as mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression and a visual analog scale (VAS). VAS consists of endpoints labeled best imaginable health status at the top and worse imaginable health state at the bottom having numeric values of 100 and 0 respectively.
From initiation of study treatment until patient is off study, assessed up to 12 months after the last patient has started treatment.

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Expression of Plasma and Ascites Exosomal Gene Signature (EXOSIG)
Time Frame: From date of registration to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled.
To assess the expression of plasma and ascites exosomal gene signature (EXO SIG) in patients with gastric cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis compared to healthy controls.
From date of registration to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled.
Correlation of Plasma and Ascite Exosomal Gene Signature (EXOSIG) to Treatment Response
Time Frame: From date of registration to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled.
To assess the correlation of changes in exosomal gene signature to treatment response in patients with gastric cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis.
From date of registration to up to 12 months after last patient is enrolled.

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.
University of California, Irvine

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: Maheswari Senthil, MD, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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.
February 18, 2021

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.
December 1, 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.
December 1, 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).
February 12, 2021

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.
February 17, 2021

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.
February 21, 2021

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 3, 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.
January 30, 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.
January 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.
  • 20206178
  • UCI 20-87 (Other Identifier: UCI CFCCC)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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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