Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy Versus Capecitabine as Adjuvant Therapy for Resected Biliary Tract Cancer (HAIC-BTC)

October 29, 2026 updated by: Zhai Wenlong

A Prospective, Open-label, Randomized Controlled Clinical Study of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy (HAIC) Versus Capecitabine as Adjuvant Therapy for Biliary Tract Malignancies After Radical Resection

This is a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled clinical study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy (HAIC) compared with Capecitabine monotherapy as adjuvant therapy for patients with biliary tract cancer after radical resection.

Patients with histologically confirmed biliary tract cancer (including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer) who have undergone R0 or R1 resection will be enrolled. A total of approximately 90 eligible patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either HAIC (Oxaliplatin plus 5-Fluorouracil) or Capecitabine.

The primary endpoint is Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS). The secondary endpoints include Overall Survival (OS) and safety profiles. This study aims to provide high-level evidence for a more effective adjuvant treatment strategy to reduce recurrence and improve survival for patients with resected biliary tract cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is highly malignant with a high recurrence rate even after radical resection. The BILCAP trial established Capecitabine as the standard of care for adjuvant therapy. However, further improvements in survival are needed. HAIC has shown promising anti-tumor activity in liver malignancies by increasing local drug concentration and reducing systemic toxicity. Our preliminary data suggest the potential benefit of local chemotherapy in biliary tract cancer.

Study Design: This is a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Patients will be randomized 1:1 into two arms.

Interventions:

HAIC Arm: Patients will receive Oxaliplatin (40 mg/m2 for 2h) followed by 5-Fluorouracil (800 mg/m2 continuous infusion for 22h) on days 1-3 of each 4-week cycle. Treatment will continue for 3-4 cycles.

Capecitabine Arm: Patients will receive oral Capecitabine 1250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 of each 3-week cycle for 8 cycles.

Follow-up: Patients will be followed up with imaging every 2 cycles during treatment, and then every 2-3 months until disease recurrence, withdrawal of consent, or death. Survival follow-up will continue to assess overall survival.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

90

Phase

  • Phase 3

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 Locations

  • China
    • Henan
      • Zhengzhou, Henan, China, 450052
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
        • 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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 18 years, male or female.

Histopathologically confirmed biliary tract malignancy (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, and distal cholangiocarcinoma) and underwent radical surgery with negative surgical margins.

No history of other tumors, and no prior anti-tumor therapy (including but not limited to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, etc.) before or after surgery.

ECOG performance status: 0~1.

Baseline blood counts and biochemistry must meet: hemoglobin ≥ 80 g/L; absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10^9/L; platelet count ≥ 60 × 10^9/L; ALT/AST ≤ 3 times ULN; total bilirubin ≤ 2 times ULN; serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN; albumin ≥ 30 g/L; INR < 1.7 or PT prolonged ≤ 4 seconds.

Women of childbearing potential must agree to use contraception during the study and for 6 months after; negative pregnancy test within 7 days prior to enrollment; non-lactating. Men must agree to use contraception.

Patients with active HBV infection must receive anti-HBV therapy starting from screening and willing to continue; HCV RNA positive patients must receive standard antiviral therapy and liver function within CTCAE grade 1 elevation.

Voluntary participation, signed informed consent, good compliance, willing to cooperate with follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or lactating.

Received anti-tumor drug therapy for cholangiocarcinoma before or after surgery.

Cardiac, pulmonary, or renal insufficiency, severe hepatic insufficiency (Child-Pugh C): (1) severe cardiovascular diseases; (2) severe respiratory diseases; (3) renal disease: chronic renal failure, MDRD ≥ stage III; (4) uncontrolled active infection; (5) ASA > 3; (6) BMI ≥ 35.

Active gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcer, refractory ascites.

Uncorrectable hypertension, coagulopathy, or severe portal hypertension.

Tumor recurrence within 1 month after surgery.

History of other malignancies.

Received other investigational drugs within 28 days.

Deemed unsuitable by the investigator.

Allergy & Contraindications: severe allergy to iodine contrast media unmanageable by premedication, or contraindications to angiography.

Postoperative pathology confirmed non-cholangiocarcinoma.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental: HAIC Group

Oxaliplatin (40 mg/m2 for 2h) followed by 5-Fluorouracil (800 mg/m2 continuous infusion for 22h) on days 1-3 of each 4-week cycle for 3-4 cycles.
Drug: Oxaliplatin

Administered via hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) at 40 mg/m2 for 2 hours on days 1-3 of each 4-week cycle.

Drug: 5-Fluorouracil

Administered via hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) at 800 mg/m2 continuous infusion for 22 hours on days 1-3 of each 4-week cycle.

Other Names:
  • 5-FU
Active Comparator: Active Comparator: Capecitabine Group

Oral Capecitabine 1250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 of each 3-week cycle for 8 cycles.
Drug: Capecitabine

Administered orally at 1250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 of each 3-week cycle for 8 cycles.

Other Names:
  • Xeloda

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS)
Time Frame: From surgery up to 36 months

Time from surgery to the first documented recurrence of disease or death from any cause.
From surgery up to 36 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Overall Survival (OS)
Time Frame: From randomization up to 60 months

Time from randomization to death from any cause.
From randomization up to 60 months
Incidence and severity of adverse events
Time Frame: From first dose up to 30 days after the last dose

Incidence, nature, and severity of adverse events (including serious adverse events) and drug exposure, graded according to NCI CTCAE v5.0.
From first dose up to 30 days after the last dose

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Zhai Wenlong

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 (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 29, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ZZU-HAIC-2026-001

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

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.

Subscribe