Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Circulating Tumor Elements in Patients With Rectal Cancer

This study looks at the level of circulating tumor elements (cancer cells or DNA pieces floating in the blood) and how it may be related to how the tumor responds to standard treatment in patients with rectal cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Researchers will also compare the level and genetic characteristics of circulating tumor elements between individuals with rectal cancer and healthy individuals to understand how they may change over time. Information from this study may help researchers better understand rectal cancer.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Metastatic Rectal Adenocarcinoma; Stage III Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IIIA Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IIIC Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IV Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IVA Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IVB Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Stage IVC Rectal Cancer AJCC v8; Locally Advanced Rectal Adenocarcinoma; Recurrent Rectal Adenocarcinoma; Rectosigmoid Adenocarcinoma; Recurrent Rectosigmoid Carcinoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Biospecimen Collection

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To establish the rate of circulating tumor elements (CTE), including but not limited to circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) detection in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), relative to other stages.

II. To assess changes in detected CTEs associated with neoadjuvant therapy in patients with LARC.

III. To correlate CTEs with neoadjuvant treatment response as an indicator of disease risk.

OUTLINE:

Patients and healthy participants undergo collection of blood sample at baseline. Patients may also undergo collection of blood sample collections during tumor surgery, 4 weeks after surgery or after completion of treatment if you are not surgery, 8 weeks after the last dose of chemotherapy, 1 year after surgery or 1 year after completion of treatment if not having surgery, 2 years after surgery or 2 years after completion of treatment if not having surgery, and within 6 years after treatment or at the end of the 6 year follow-up if the disease gets worse with treatment or comes back.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 341

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • M D Anderson Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy participants and patients diagnosed with rectal (or rectosigmoid) adenocarcinoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• HEALTHY SUBJECT: No known diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) or any other type of cancer for the last 10 years.(basal cell skin cancer is allowed). Subjects will be asked about their cancer history and a verbal confirmation is required

• Any patient with diagnosis of rectal (or rectosigmoid) adenocarcinoma, including:

  • Patients with primary disease with or without neoadjuvant therapy; OR
  • Patients with recurrent disease with or without neoadjuvant therapy; OR
  • Patients with metastatic disease with or without prior treatment
• No known current diagnosis of other invasive cancer; if prior diagnosis of other cancer, he/she has been free from cancer for >= 3 years and is on no active treatment
• Adequate mental and language capacity to provide consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Ancillary-Correlative (biospecimen collection); Patients and healthy participants undergo collection of blood sample at baseline. Patients may also undergo collection of blood sample collections during tumor surgery, 4 weeks after surgery or after completion of treatment if you are not surgery, 8 weeks after the last dose of chemotherapy, 1 year after surgery or 1 year after completion of treatment if not having surgery, 2 years after surgery or 2 years after completion of treatment if not having surgery, and within 6 years after treatment or at the end of the 6 year follow-up if the disease gets worse with treatment or comes back.

Procedure: Biospecimen Collection; Undergo collection of blood sample

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of treatment naive locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients with circulating tumor cells (CTC)	The proportion of patients with any CTC will be calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Additionally, the actual CTC count will be plotted with a box-plot. Proportions of patients with 2 or more, and 3 or more CTCs will be calculated. Will also explore correlations between the presence of 1 or more CTC and primary tumor characteristics using Chi-Squared or Fischer's exact tests as appropriate.	Baseline up to 6 years
Change in circulating tumor cells status	A McNemar's test will be used to test whether neoadjuvant therapy (NEO) provided any improvement in the proportion of patients with any CTC. The CTC counts at baseline versus 8 weeks after completion of treatment will be compared with a paired t-test.	Baseline and 8 weeks after completion of treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Yi-Qian N You, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 5, 2013
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 17, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): August 22, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 11, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Intestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colorectal Neoplasms; Intestinal Neoplasms; Rectal Diseases; Rectal Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: PA13-0547 (Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center); NCI-2020-07460 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

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