Research has shown that increasing the dose of radiotherapy improves outcomes in patients with lung and head and neck cancers. This study aims to see whether this is also the case for patients with tumour of the oesophagus. This trial will compare the effects of the standard dose of radiotherapy to a higher dose whilst closely monitoring the side effects. A comparison will also be made regarding the effects of the standard drugs used in chemotherapy (cisplatin and capecitabine) with an alternative combination (carboplatin and paclitaxel) in patients that do not show a response to chemotherapy with standard drugs early on in treatment. All patients will receive 6 weeks of chemotherapy and 5 weeks of chemoradiotherapy. How the study will be conducted: Prior to the commencement of treatment each patient will have a special scan called a PET scan. Patients will receive a second PET scan two weeks after the start of standard chemotherapy. The changes between the two scans will then be used to allocate treatment into the different arms of the study. All study subjects will be randomised to receive either the standard radiotherapy dose or the high radiotherapy dose. The participants that do not respond to the first cycle of standard chemotherapy will be eligible to take part in the aspect of the trial looking at an alternative chemotherapy regimen. Patients will be randomised as follows; On the basis of the second PET scan, patients who are not responding to standard chemotherapy will be allocated by a computer to one of the four groups detailed below: * Standard chemotherapy and standard dose of radiotherapy * Standard chemotherapy and higher dose of radiotherapy * Alternative chemotherapy and standard dose of radiotherapy * Alternative chemotherapy and higher dose of radiotherapy Patients who are responding to standard chemotherapy (or where the response is unknown or those who were not eligible for PET scan portion of the study) will be allocated by a computer to one of two groups detailed below: * Standard chemotherapy and standard dose of radiotherapy * Standard chemotherapy and higher dose of radiotherapy The arms within each of the groups above (responders and non-responders) will be equal in size and patients will be allocated randomly by a computer. This study will also compare the way that this treatment affects the two different cell types found in oesophageal tumours. The effects of the different treatment, together with the costs of the different treatment and the effects on quality of life will be analysed to see which is more effective for each of the different groups.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
584
For more information please see the arm descriptions section.
For more information please see the arm descriptions section.
For more information please see the arm descriptions section.
For more information please see the arm descriptions section.
For more information please see the arm descriptions section.
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Aberdeen, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGBristol Haematology & Oncology
Bristol, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGAddenbrooke's Hospital
Cambridge, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGKent and Canterbury
Canterbury, United Kingdom
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGVelindre Cancer Care Centre
Cardiff, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGCheltenham General Hospital
Cheltenham, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGUniversity Hospital Coventry
Coventry, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGDerby Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Derby, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGGlan Clwyd Hospital
Glan Clwyd, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGBeatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Glasgow, United Kingdom
RECRUITING...and 16 more locations
Primary endpoint phase II in squamous cell carcinoma comparing standard dose radiotherapy to high dose radiotherapy
24 week treatment failure free survival (TFFS).
Time frame: 24 weeks
Primary endpoint phase III in squamous cell carcinoma: Overall survival (OS) comparing standard dose radiotherapy to high dose radiotherapy
Overall survival (OS)
Time frame: 24 weeks
Primary endpoint in squamous cell carcinoma when switching chemotherapy
24 week treatment failure free survival (TFFS).
Time frame: 24 weeks
Primary endpoint phase in adenocarcinoma phase II comparing standard dose radiotherapy to high dose radiotherapy
24 week treatment failure free survival (TFFS).
Time frame: 24 weeks
Primary endpoint in adenocarcinoma when switching chemotherapy
24 week treatment failure free survival (TFFS).
Time frame: 24 weeks
Overall survival
Overall survival assessed at each visit. Additionally patients will be flagged with the HSCIC to reduce loss to follow up.
Time frame: 5 years follow up
Progression free survival
Progression free survival (PFS), additionally patients will be flagged with the HSCIC to reduce loss to follow up.
Time frame: 5 years
Quality of Life
Quality of Life (QoL): EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-OES18 questionnaires
Time frame: Baseline, week 7, end of treatment, 6, 12 and 24 months
Toxicity
CTCAE v4.03 at baseline, after each treatment cycle, and follow up visits. Patients in the dose escalation arm will have additional assessment and 6 and 9 weeks post RT to monitor toxicities.
Time frame: After each treatment cycle and at follow up visits
Health economics
Health economic data will be collected using health resource utilisation log plus data on health resource usage
Time frame: Baseline, end of treatment, 6, 12 and 24 months
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