This study is designed for participants who have cancer of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as cancer of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum (the initial portion of your small intestine), pancreas, bile duct (Cholangiocarcinoma), ampulla, or gall bladder with limited sites of spread (metastases). Doctors leading this study are looking to see if treating the disease using sequential procedures (more than one procedure given one after another) such as surgeries or radiation can lead to better survival and if these surgeries, combined with standard of care treatment, are safe for the treatment of upper GI cancers.
This study is designed for participants who have cancer of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as cancer of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum (the initial portion of your small intestine), pancreas, bile duct (Cholangiocarcinoma), ampulla, or gall bladder with limited sites of spread (metastases). Doctors leading this study are looking to see if treating the disease using sequential procedures (more than one procedure given one after another) such as surgeries or radiation can lead to better survival and if it is safe for the treatment of upper GI cancers. The purpose of the proposed study is to identify a group of patients with metastatic cancer of the upper GI and biliary tract that may benefit from sequential procedures such as surgeries or radiation compared to the current standard of care chemotherapy treatment alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
* If you have cancer of the stomach or food pipe (esophagus): the preferred chemotherapy regimen includes two or three medications. These drugs include Cisplatin or Oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5 FU) in combination with Docetaxel. * If you have cancer of the pancreas or ampulla: the preferred chemotherapy medicines include Gemcitabine or a three-drug combination chemotherapy called FOLFIRINOX, which includes 5FU, Leucovorin, Irinotecan, and Oxaliplatin. * If you have bile duct cancers: a combination of Gemcitabine, platinum agents, or fluoropyrimidine will be considered.
If you have lung cancer, you may receive video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS): a type of minimally invasive thoracic surgery of the chest, performed with a thoracoscope (small videoscope) using small incisions and special instruments to minimize trauma.
If you have lung cancer, you may receive a lobectomy: A major/invasive surgical procedure where an entire lobe of your lung is removed.
A type of radiation treatment used to kill any cancer cells that may be left in the body. It may also include a stem cell transplant or treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells.
Depending on the location of you cancer and the state of your cancer after chemotherapy, you may receive on the the following ablation treatments: -Microwave or Radiofrequency Ablation: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are treatments that remove liver tumors by placing a needle through the skin into the tumor. In RFA, high-frequency electrical currents are passed through an electrode in the needle, creating a small region of heat. In MWA, microwaves are created from the needle to create a small region of heat. The heat destroys the liver cancer cells. -General Tumor Ablation Treatment: a minimally invasive surgical method to treat solid cancers. Special probes are used to "burn" or "freeze" cancers without the usual surgery. Doctors use images of your tumor to guide where they place the needle. This requires only a tiny hole, usually less than 3 mm via which the probe is introduced.
Depending on the type of GI cancer you have and the state of your cancer after chemotherapy, you may receive a resection or excision: a surgical procedure that focuses on removing all or part of a tumor/organ/body using a sharp knife (scalpel) or other cutting instrument.
Peritonectomy is a surgery used to remove peritoneal tumors (tumors in the lining of the abdomen/stomach) from a patient. Following surgery, a heated chemotherapy bath (HIPEC) is commonly administered.
If you have cancer in your biliary tract (gallbladder, pancreas or liver), you may receive transarterial radioembolization known as TARE. TARE allows doctors to deliver radiation treatment directly to the liver using a minimally invasive technique that is designed to cause few side effects. TARE allows doctors to thread a catheter through a small incision in the participant's upper thigh through the artery that goes directly to the liver.
Progression Free Survival
The progression free survival (PFS) of participants undergoing sequential procedures (Arm A of study) vs standard of care chemotherapy (participants in Arm B - control group) as assessed by clinical records. Progression free survival will be defined as the time from randomization to first documented disease progression or death as assessed by clinical records.
Time frame: 12 months
6 Month Progression Free Survival
The percentage of participants in each arm without disease progression/death at 6 months as assessed by clinical records.
Time frame: 6 months
Progression Free Survival 2
The percentage of participants in each arm without disease progression/death from randomization to progression on second line therapy, which includes repeat interventions.
Time frame: 12 months
12 Month Progression Free Survival
The percentage of participants in each arm without disease progression/death at 12 months as assessed by clinical records.
Time frame: 12 months
Median Overall Survival
The median overall survival of participants undergoing sequential procedures (Arm A) vs standard of care therapy (Arm B) as assessed by clinical records. Median overall survival will be defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause.
Time frame: 12 months
Health-Related Quality of Life
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for participants undergoing sequential procedures (Arm A) vs. the HRQoL for participants receiving standard of care treatment (Arm B). This will be assessed by quality of questionnaires completed by participants at baseline and after treatment.
Time frame: 12 months
Financial Toxicity
The financial burden and its consequences faced by participants undergoing sequential procedures vs. the financial burden experienced by participants receiving standard of care treatment (Arm B). This financial burden/toxicity will be assessed by the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire, a standardized participant-friendly questionnaire used to measure financial toxicity/burden of treatment.
Time frame: 12 months
Post-Procedure Morbidity of Participants in Arm A
The morbidity (the state of having a particular illness) of participants after undergoing sequential cytoreductive procedures (procedures used to remove tumors) as assessed by clinical records.
Time frame: 12 months
Post-Procedure Mortality of Participants in Arm A
The mortality (the number of deaths) of participants after undergoing sequential cytoreductive procedures (procedures used to remove tumors) as assessed by clinical records.
Time frame: 12 months
Incidence of Adverse Events Reported Among Participants in Arm B (Standard of Care Group)
The safety/ tolerability of standard of care treatment as assessed by reported adverse events from participants in Arm B. Adverse Events will be measured using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.5.
Time frame: 12 months
Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Progression Free survival
The median circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) progression free survival, which will be defined as the time from randomization to first documented disease progression, positive ctDNA detection, or death as assessed by the radiology team in participants with undetectable ctDNA. ctDNA levels in participants will be tested/assessed using liquid biopsies.
Time frame: 2 years after randomization
The Effect of Interventions on Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA)
The effect of interventions on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels in participants who receive aggressive interventions (Arm A) versus standard of care treatments (Arm B). The effect of interventions on ctDNA will be assessed based on recorded ctDNA levels measured using liquid biopsies at baseline and after treatment.
Time frame: 2 years after randomization
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