Total Neoadjuvant Therapy in Rectal Cancer

April 7, 2026 updated by: Yu-Min Yeh, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

A Phase II Study of Total Neoadjuvant Therapy in Rectal Cancer

In this phase 2 study, the efficacy of total neoadjuvant therapy in Taiwanese patients with rectal cancer will be investigated. Patients with stage II or III middle/low rectal cancer will be prospective enrolled. The total neoadjuvant therapy with the short-course radiotherapy (5×5 Gy over a maximum of 8 days) followed by chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 for 9 cycles will be administered. The primary endpoint is the complete response (CR) rate which will take into account the patients with clinical and pathological complete response.

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.

Detailed Description

This is a single center, single-arm, open-label, phase II study to investigate the efficacy and toxicities of total neoadjuvant therapy in patients with middle or lower rectal cancer. This study is planned to start after the approval by IRB, enroll patients for 2 years, and follow the clinical outcome for another 5 years. It will be conducted at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Forty-two subjects will be enrolled. Patients who have newly diagnosed stage II or III, middle or low rectal adenocarcinoma will be recruited to receive the TNT treatment. The TNT includes the short-course radiotherapy (5×5 Gy over a maximum of 8 days)) followed by chemotherapy with the regimen of mFOLFOX6 for total 9 cycles

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.
42

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.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Tainan, Taiwan, 704
        • Recruiting
        • National Cheng Kung University Hospital
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Yu-Min Yeh, 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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Histologically confirmed diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the rectum;
  • Tumors located at mid or low rectum (distal extension less than 10 cm from the anal verge);
  • Clinical stage II or III (T3/4 and/or N+; no distant metastasis);
  • No prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery for rectal cancer;
  • Age ≥20;
  • ECOG 0-1;
  • Adequate organ function, including followings:

ANC ≥1,500/μL; Hb ≥8.0 gm/dL; Platelet 100,000/mm3; Total bilirubin ≤1.5x upper normal limit; AST ≤3x upper normal limit; ALT ≤3x upper normal limit; Creatinine ≤1.5x upper normal limit;

  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sing a written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Recurrent rectal cancer;
  • Patients who have concomitant malignancies, except for adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ carcinoma of the cervix. Subjects who have prior malignancies and have been disease-free for more than 5 years can be enrolled;
  • Patients who have received prior pelvic radiotherapy;
  • Patients with active infection requiring intravenous antibiotic treatment;
  • Patients with a history of any arterial thrombotic event within the past 6 months, including unstable angina, myocardial infarction (MI) or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), New York Hear Association (NYHA) grade II or greater congestive heart failure, or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia;
  • Patients with any other concurrent medical or psychiatric condition or disease which, in the investigator's judgement, would make them inappropriate candidates for entry into this study;
  • Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Women of childbearing potential who are unwilling or unable to use an acceptable method of birth control to avoid pregnancy for the entire study period;
  • Patients receiving other anticancer or experimental therapy;
  • Known DPD deficiency or hypersensitivity to oxaliplatin;
  • Any contraindications to MRI.

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: Experimental arm
The total neoadjuvant therapy with the short-course radiotherapy (5×5 Gy over a maximum of 8 days) followed by chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 for 9 cycles will be administered.
Radiation: Short-course radiotherapy
Short-course radiotherapy, 5×5 Gy.
Other Names:
  • RT
Drug: mFOLFOX6
Oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, infusinal 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 every 2 weeks, for 9 cycles
Other Names:
  • Consolidation chemotherapy

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
Complete response (CR) rate
Time Frame: The response will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after the completion of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy
The percentage of patients who achieve a complete response
The response will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after the completion of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy

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
R0 resection rate
Time Frame: The R0 resection rate will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after completion of the total neoadjuvant chemotherapy
The percentage of patients who receive the surgery of total neoadjuvant therapy and achieve R0 resection
The R0 resection rate will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after completion of the total neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Response rate
Time Frame: The response will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after the completion of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy
The percentage of patients who achieve a complete response or partial response
The response will be assessed at the period of 2 to 4 weeks after the completion of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Loco-regional failure rate
Time Frame: The loco-regional failure will be assessed from the date of surgical resection until the first documented local recurrence, up to 84 months
The percentage of patients who develop local recurrence after surgery
The loco-regional failure will be assessed from the date of surgical resection until the first documented local recurrence, up to 84 months
Rate of distant metastasis
Time Frame: The distant metastasis will be assessed from the date of beginning short-course RT until the first documented distant metastasis, up to 84 months
The percentage of patients who develop distant metastasis
The distant metastasis will be assessed from the date of beginning short-course RT until the first documented distant metastasis, up to 84 months
Safety profiles
Time Frame: The safety profile will be assessed from the beginning of the short-course RT to the end of last cycle of FOLFOX chemotherapy, up to 24 weeks
The occurrence and severity of adverse events which develop during the treatment of total neoadjuvant therapy
The safety profile will be assessed from the beginning of the short-course RT to the end of last cycle of FOLFOX chemotherapy, up to 24 weeks

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.
National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

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: Yu-Min Yeh, MD, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

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.
November 16, 2023

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.
November 16, 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.
November 16, 2030

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).
November 27, 2023

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.
December 7, 2023

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.
December 8, 2023

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.
April 8, 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.
April 7, 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.
April 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.
  • B-BR-112-042

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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.

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