SMART TNT for the Conservative Management of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (SMART TNT)

February 4, 2026 updated by: Benjamin Spieler, University of Miami

Selective Treatment With Magnetic Resonance Image Guided Pelvic Adaptive Radiation Therapy Combined With Total Neoadjuvant ChemoTherapy for the Conservative Management of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

The purpose of this research study is to find out how safe and effective is treating patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) with chemotherapy first and then follow with radiation therapy to a higher dose than what is usually delivered and see if patients could have complete response and be spared from surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

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.
25

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 1

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 Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
        • Recruiting
        • University of Miami
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Benjamin Spieler, MD
        • Contact:

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:

  1. Patients with newly diagnosed, biopsy proven, rectal adenocarcinoma.
  2. Primary tumor located ≤18 cm from margin verge.
  3. Primary tumor either a T3N0 or T1-4 N positive (as defined per pelvic MRI; nodes ≤ 15 mm).
  4. ≥ 18 years of age.
  5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2.
  6. Serum liver function tests values within the range of 1.5 x Upper Limit of Normal (within 6 weeks of enrollment).
  7. Negative pregnancy test for women of child-bearing potential (within 4 weeks of enrollment).
  8. Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
  9. Patient is assessed by a surgeon, medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist and deemed fit for Total Neoadjuvant ChemoTherapy (TNT) and surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Metastatic disease on initial work up (Chest and abdomen contrast enhanced CT scan).
  2. Synchronous cancer found on colonoscopy.
  3. Previous history of pelvic radiotherapy.
  4. History of concurrent, active malignancy other than non-metastatic skin cancer within the last 2 years.
  5. Symptomatic congestive heart failure of New York Heart Association Class III or IV, unstable angina pectoris or uncontrolled severe cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial infarction within the last 6 months.
  6. Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  7. Active (acute or chronic) or uncontrolled severe infections requiring intravenous antibiotics or active tuberculosis (TB).
  8. Patients with poorly controlled acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) who are not deemed candidates for FOLFOX, mFOLFIRINOX or CAPOX chemotherapy. Active connective tissue disorders, such as lupus or scleroderma, that, in the opinion of the treating physician may put the patient at high risk for radiation toxicity.
  9. Active connective tissue disorders, such as lupus or scleroderma, that in the opinion of the treating physician may put the patient at high risk for radiation toxicity
  10. Sensory or motor neuropathy ≥ grade 2.
  11. Women who are breast feeding.
  12. Exclusions due to MRI use in study: ferromagnetic metal in body/eye, pacemaker, defibrillator, other mechanical device, or extreme claustrophobia (medication with anti-anxiety agents, such as Ativan, may be attempted).

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential 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: SMART TNT Plan II

Plan II boost RT (1 week): For participants not achieving cCR after chemo-radiation. Participants will receive MRI-guided accelerated radiation therapy (ART) boost to the primary tumor.

Participants achieving a cCR will continue to follow-up. Participants still showing residual tumor will undergo standard of care treatment including surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy per institutional guidelines during follow-up.
Radiation: Accelerated Radiation Therapy

MRI-guided Pelvic accelerated radiation therapy (ART) given over one week at one of the following dose levels :

  • Dose level -1: 10 Gy delivered in 4 fractions
  • Dose level 0: 12 Gy delivered in 4 fractions
  • Dose level 1: 14 Gy delivered in 4 fractions
  • Dose level 2: 16 Gy in delivered 4 fractions
Other Names:
  • ART
Experimental: SMART TNT Plan I

Participants will initiate therapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy of either six (6) 14-day cycles of 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), six (6) 14-day cycles of 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + irinotecan + oxaliplatin (mFOLFIRINOX), or four (4) 21-day cycles of capecitabine+oxaliplatin (CAPOX). Participants will then receive chemo-radiation therapy according to Plan I as follows:

Plan I (5 weeks):

  • MRI-guided pelvic IMRT to the Planning Tumor Volume (PTV) at a dose of 50 Grays (gy) delivered in 25 fractions (fx) over 5 weeks.

  • Concurrent chemotherapy beginning on Day 1 of RT either:

    • 5-FU delivered 5 or 7 days per week.
    • Capecitabine (Xeloda) delivered 5 days per week.

After completing Plan I, participants achieving complete Clinical Response (cCR) after completing Plan I chemo-radiation will forgo the Plan II boost and continue to follow-up. Participants not achieving cCR will begin Plan II, one week after completing Plan I.
Radiation: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
MRI-guided pelvic IMRT to the Planning Tumor Volume (PTV) at a dose of 50 Grays (gy) delivered in 25 fractions (fx) over 5 weeks.
Other Names:
  • IMRT
Drug: 5-fluorouracil

5-FU dose of 400 mg/m2 will be administered intravenously (IV) over 5-15 minutes beginning on Day 1; then a dose of 2400 mg/m2 via continual infusion (CI) over 4446-478 hours total dose during Days 1 and 2 of every 14-day cycle, for 4 to 6 cycles.

During SMART TNT Plan I, 5-FU dose of 225 mg/m2 per day will be administered via CI on Day 1 radiation therapy, delivered either 5 or 7 days per week.

Other Names:
  • 5-FU
Drug: Leucovorin
Leucovorin dose of 400 mg/m2 bolus will be administered intravenously (IV) on Day 1 of each 14-day cycle for 4 to 6 cycles, prior to SMART TNT Plan I radiation therapy.
Other Names:
  • Folinic acid
Drug: Oxaliplatin
Oxaliplatin dose of 85 mg/m2 will be administered intravenously (IV) on Day 1 of each 14-day cycle for 4 - 6 cycles.
Other Names:
  • Eloxatin
Drug: Capecitabine
Capecitabine will be administered orally at a dose of 825 mg/m2 via tablet twice per day (BID) on Day 1, 5 days per week.
Other Names:
  • Xeloda
Drug: Irinotecan
Irinotecan dose of 180 mg/m2 will be administered intravenously (IV) on Day 1 of each 14-day cycle for 4 to 6 cycles, prior to SMART TNT Plan I radiation therapy.

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
Incidence of Toxicity Among Participants After Start Receiving MRI-g Pelvic ART
Time Frame: Up to 30 months
Reported as the incidence of toxicity (adverse events and serious adverse events) in study participants after start of MRI-g Pelvic ART. Toxicity in study participants will be assessed using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0, per physician discretion.
Up to 30 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
Incidence of Acute and Long-Term Toxicity After Start of Study Therapy
Time Frame: Up to 30 months
Reported as the incidence of grade 3 or higher acute and long-term toxicity by organ in study participants after start of study therapy. These toxicities will be assessed using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0, per physician discretion.
Up to 30 months
Percentage of Participants with Documented Local Control
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Local control is defined as the stopping of cancer growth at the original primary site. The percentage of participants with documented local control after study therapy will be reported.
Up to 2 years
Percentage of Participants with Documented Distant Metastasis
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Distant metastasis is defined as cancer that has spread form the original (primary) tumor to distant organs and distant lymph nodes. The percentage of participants with documented distant metastasis after study therapy will be reported.
Up to 2 years
Disease-free Survival (DFS) rate
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Disease-free survival is defined as the elapsed time after treatment that a person with disease lives without known disease recurrence. DFS rate will be reported as the percentage of participants without disease recurrence after start of treatment.
Up to 2 years
Overall Survival (OS)
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
OS will be reported as the number of participants still alive after start of treatment.
Up to 2 years
Percentage of Real Negatives
Time Frame: Up to 6 months
The sensitivity and specificity of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) to measure tumor response will be reported as the percentage of real negatives during the course of treatment of study participants.
Up to 6 months
Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) Scores: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)
Time Frame: Up to 30 months
Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) will be measured using the 29-item NIH PROMIS questionnaire, a validated HRQOL measure that provides global levels of health-related quality of life. PROMIS has subscales of emotional distress, fatigue, pain, physical function, sleep disturbance, and satisfaction with social participation.
Up to 30 months
Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) Scores: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Time Frame: Up to 30 months
Health-related quality of life will be reported using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) which assesses patient-reported sleep quality over a 1-month time interval. The PSQI consists of 19 items including 7 sleep components (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction) that produce one global score. Each item is weighted on a 0-3 interval scale. The global PSQI score is then calculated by totaling the seven component scores, providing an overall score ranging from 0 to 21, where lower scores denote a healthier sleep quality.
Up to 30 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.
University of Miami

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: Benjamin Spieler, MD, University of Miami

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.
October 5, 2022

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.
October 31, 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.
October 31, 2028

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).
June 6, 2022

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.
June 6, 2022

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.
June 9, 2022

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

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.
  • 20210172

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

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.

Clinical Trials on Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Clinical Trials on Intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings