The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if combining serplulimab (PD-1 inhibitor) with bevacizumab and short-course total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) works to treat locally advanced mid-to-low rectal cancer in adults. It will also learn about the safety of this combination. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does adding bevacizumab to serplulimab and TNT increase the complete remission rate (cCR + pCR) compared with serplulimab and TNT alone? What medical problems do participants have when receiving these treatments? Researchers will compare: Experimental group: serplulimab + bevacizumab + chemotherapy + short-course radiotherapy Control group: serplulimab + chemotherapy + short-course radiotherapy Participants will: Receive either the experimental or control regimen for about 4-5 months before surgery or a watch-and-wait approach if complete response is achieved Undergo treatment in cycles that include chemotherapy, immunotherapy (and bevacizumab if in the experimental group), and short-course radiotherapy Visit the clinic regularly for check-ups, blood tests, imaging, endoscopy, and to monitor side effects Be followed for up to 5 years after treatment to assess cancer control, organ preservation, and survival outcomes
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
138
Serplulimab 300 mg IV on Day 1
Bevacizumab 5 mg/kg IV on Day 1
25 Gy in 5 fractions over 1 week
Capecitabine: 800 mg/m² orally, twice daily (BID), on Days 1-14 of each cycle Oxaliplatin: 130 mg/m² intravenous infusion, on Day 1 of each cycle
Complete Remission (CR) Rate assessed by pathology, MRI, endoscopy, and clinical examination
Definition: The proportion of participants achieving complete remission, defined as: Pathologic complete response (pCR): No residual viable tumor cells detected in the resected specimen after neoadjuvant treatment (ypT0N0) Sustained clinical complete response (cCR): No evidence of residual tumor on digital rectal examination, endoscopy, and MRI, maintained for more than 1 year without surgery Assessment Method: Evaluated by investigators based on imaging, endoscopic findings, pathology (for surgical cases), and clinical examination
Time frame: At the time of surgery for pCR, and at 1 year after achieving cCR for sustained cCR
Organ Preservation Rate (OPR) assessed by MRI, endoscopy, and clinical examination
Definition: The proportion of participants who achieve organ preservation, defined as avoiding radical rectal resection (TME) without evidence of local tumor recurrence during follow-up. Assessment Method: Clinical examination, endoscopy, and MRI.
Time frame: From the end of neoadjuvant therapy through 3 years of follow-up.
R0 Resection Rate confirmed by histopathology
Definition: The proportion of participants who undergo surgical resection with negative microscopic margins (no tumor cells at the resection margin). Assessment Method: Pathology review of surgical specimens.
Time frame: At the time of surgery.
Disease-Free Survival (DFS) measured by imaging and clinical follow-up
Definition: Time from randomization to documented disease recurrence (local or distant) or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. Assessment Method: Imaging, endoscopic examination, clinical records.
Time frame: Up to 5 years after randomization.
Overall Survival (OS) assessed by survival follow-up
Definition: Time from randomization to death from any cause. Assessment Method: Survival status by follow-up visits, phone calls, or registry data.
Time frame: Time Frame: Up to 5 years after randomization.
Objective Response Rate (ORR) assessed by RECIST v1.1
Definition: The proportion of participants achieving a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to RECIST v1.1 during neoadjuvant therapy. Assessment Method: MRI, CT scans, and clinical examination.
Time frame: During neoadjuvant therapy (baseline to pre-surgery evaluation).
Disease Control Rate (DCR) assessed by RECIST v1.1
Definition: The proportion of participants achieving CR, PR, or stable disease (SD) as per RECIST v1.1 during neoadjuvant therapy. Assessment Method: MRI, CT scans, and clinical examination.
Time frame: During neoadjuvant therapy (baseline to pre-surgery evaluation).
Safety Outcomes assessed by NCI-CTCAE v5.0
Definition: Incidence, nature, and severity of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), graded according to NCI-CTCAE v5.0;
Time frame: From first dose to 90 days after last dose of study treatment.
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