Several Phase II studies have demonstrated the feasibility, effectiveness, and good tolerability of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment for localized dMMR colorectal and rectal cancers. The significant clinical and pathological complete response rates offer the possibility of avoiding surgical resection. dMMR colorectal cancers are generally larger and more advanced than pMMR tumors, often requiring more extensive surgery with associated risks such as anastomotic leakage, ureteral injury, and infection. If oncological outcomes are not affected (requiring long-term follow-up), non-surgical treatment becomes an attractive option for localized dMMR colorectal cancer. Moreover, pelvic radiotherapy, the standard for locally advanced rectal cancer, causes both short-term and long-term adverse effects (e.g., bowel and bladder dysfunction, fistula, infertility), significantly impacting quality of life. Total mesorectal excision also carries risks of complications and sexual dysfunction, often requiring a stoma, making organ preservation a more urgent need for rectal cancer patients. Phase II trials and the international "watch-and-wait" database have confirmed the feasibility and safety of organ preservation for pMMR locally advanced rectal cancer. Therefore, the high clinical and pathological complete response rates achieved by neoadjuvant immunotherapy for dMMR/MSI-H rectal cancer offer promising prospects for non-surgical treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
105
Toripalimab is administered via intravenous infusion at 3 mg/kg over 30 minutes (initial infusion time is 60 minutes), once every two weeks, for a total of 12 doses before surgery. Celecoxib is taken orally at 200 mg per dose, twice daily, for a duration of 6 months.
Patients who do not achieve cCR based on radiographic imaging (CT/MRI of chest, abdomen, pelvis, and rectal MRI), endoscopy, and digital rectal examination (if applicable) are recommended to undergo curative resection of colorectal cancer.
Patients achieving clinical complete response (cCR) based on radiographic imaging (CT/MRI of chest, abdomen, pelvis, and rectal MRI), endoscopy, and digital rectal examination (if applicable) are recommended to adopt a watch-and-wait strategy.
The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
RECRUITINGEvent-free survival (EFS)
the time between randomization and one of the following events: locally progressive disease leading to an unresectable tumor, local R2 resection, local recurrence after an R0/1 resection, distant metastases, a new primary colorectal cancer, or death from any cause, whichever occurred first.
Time frame: 3 years
Pathologic complete response (pCR) rate
the percentage of subjects with no residual viable tumor in the resected primary tumor specimen and all sampled regional lymph nodes after radical surgery (ypT0N0).
Time frame: 3 years
Overall survival (OS)
the time from randomization to death from any cause. Subjects who are still alive at the time of the analysis will be censored for OS on the latest known survival date.
Time frame: 3 years
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