GI Radiation Oncology Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies in which patients may volunteer to take part. MD Anderson uses clinical trials to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Doctors use treatment trials to learn more about how to fight cancer.

The current gastrointestinal cancer clinical trials are listed below. Find more information on clinical trials at MD Anderson.

Pancreatic Cancer

To determine if patients are eligible for a pancreatic cancer clinical trial, the disease must be properly staged with a specialized CT scan (triphasic CT or pancreas protocol CT). This usually requires a discussion with a multidisciplinary tumor board.

After that process, the disease is classified in one of the following stages:

• Resectable (Stage 1-2: surgery is technically possible right now)
• Borderline resectable (Stage 1-2: surgery is possible, but likely need more treatment to improve chances of success),
• Locally advanced (Stage 3: the tumor can’t be removed by surgery but has not yet spread)
• Metastatic (Stage 4, disease has spread beyond the pancreas)

The current pancreatic cancer clinical trials are listed below. Find more information on clinical trials at MD Anderson.

Borderline Resectable/Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

2019-1001: A Phase I Study of NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy for locally advanced or borderline-resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

NBTXR3 is a nanoparticle containing hafnium oxide that is injected into the pancreatic tumor which could make it more sensitive to radiation therapy. The objective of this trial is to find the recommended phase 2 dose of NBTXR3 that can be given in combination with radiation therapy to patients with pancreatic cancer. 

Anal Cancer

To determine if patients are eligible for anal cancer clinical trial, the disease must be properly staged with a specialized CT scan (triphasic CT or pancreas protocol CT). This usually requires a discussion with a multidisciplinary tumor board.

2020-0516 (EA2182): A Randomized Phase II Study of De-Intensified ChemoRadiation for Early-Stage Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (DECREASE)

This phase II trial studies how well lower-dose chemotherapy plus radiation (chemoradiation) therapy works in comparison to standard-dose chemoradiation in treating patients with early-stage anal cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as mitomycin, fluorouracil, and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. This study may help doctors find out if lower-dose chemoradiation is as effective and has fewer side effects than standard-dose chemoradiation, which is the usual approach for treatment of this cancer type.

Liver Cancer

NRG-GI003: A Phase III Randomized Trial of Protons Versus Photons for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This  phase III trial studies how well radiation therapy with protons works compared with photons in treating patients with liver cancer. Radiation therapy, such as photon therapy, uses high energy x-rays to send the radiation inside the body to the tumor while proton therapy uses a beam of proton particles. Proton therapy can stop shortly after penetrating through the tumor and may cause less damage to the surrounding healthy organs and result in better survival in patients with liver cancer.

Colorectal, Gastro/esophageal, Pancreatic

2024-0070  EXTEND-OP

A Randomized Phase II Basket Trial EXTENDing Efficacy of Systemic Therapy With Local Consolidative Therapy for OligoProgressive Metastatic Disease (EXTEND-OP)

To find out if local consolidation therapy (such as radiation therapy with or without other local therapies such as surgery, ablation [the removal or destruction of a body part or tissue or its function], or embolization [a procedure that uses particles, such as tiny gelatin sponges or beads, to block a blood vessel]) to all progressive sites of disease can help to control the disease compared with next-line systemic therapy.