This study is a prospective, open-label, two-arm, phase II clinical trial involving patients preoperatively diagnosed with YWHAB (Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein beta)-high locally advanced rectal cancer. The trial evaluates a regimen combining mFOLFOX chemotherapy with citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) for neoadjuvant therapy (pre-surgery) and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Treatment Protocol Preoperative (4-6 cycles) and Postoperative (6-8 cycles): Each 14-day cycle includes: Oxaliplatin: 85 mg/m² via 180-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. Leucovorin: 400 mg/m² via 120-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. 5-Fluorouracil: 2400 mg/m² via continuous intravenous infusion over 46 hours. Citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) : 500 mg orally three times daily (Days 1-14), administered with or without the chemotherapy regimen (depending on group assignment). Key Trial Design Features Dose Adjustments: Permitted during the trial based on patient tolerance. Discontinuation Criteria: Patients with disease progression during neoadjuvant therapy will cease study treatment and proceed to surgery or alternative therapies per local guidelines. Surgery may be initiated early if patients cannot tolerate the planned 6 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. Patients receiving non-protocol anticancer therapies preoperatively will be withdrawn from the study. Postoperative Management: Post-treatment plans (e.g., continuation of mFOLFOX + Alvenor) are determined by the investigator. Control Group Restriction: Patients in the control arm are not permitted to self-administer citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) during the trial. Any requirement for this medication must be discussed with the treating physician, who will decide on alternative therapies or trial withdrawal.
This study plans to conduct a prospective, open-label, two-arm, phase II clinical trial: For patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, YWHAB immunohistochemical staining will be performed on endoscopic biopsy specimens to screen out patients with high expression of YWHAB in locally advanced rectal cancer. These patients will be randomly assigned to the mFOLFOX treatment group or the mFOLFOX combined with Citrus Flavone Tablets (Alvenor) treatment group for neoadjuvant therapy. After completing 4-6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patients will undergo preoperative assessment by the attending physician and surgical resection of the tumor by a professional colorectal surgery team. Postoperatively, they will receive 6-8 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. The efficacy (proportion of patients achieving tumor downstaging, three-year disease-free survival rate, overall survival time, and tumor regression grade TRG, etc.) and safety (drug-related adverse reactions, etc.) of the mFOLFOX combined with Citrus Flavone Tablets (Alvenor) neoadjuvant therapy for patients with high expression of YWHAB in locally advanced rectal cancer will be evaluated to assess the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of this treatment regimen. Based on the team's previous basic/translational research, animal experiments, and the clinical safety of Citrus Flavone Tablets (Alvenor), this study is expected to improve the efficacy of patients with high expression of YWHAB in locally advanced rectal cancer and benefit more patients.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
236
The trial evaluates a regimen combining mFOLFOX chemotherapy with citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) for neoadjuvant therapy (pre-surgery) and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Treatment Protocol Preoperative (4-6 cycles) and Postoperative (6-8 cycles): Each 14-day cycle includes: Oxaliplatin: 85 mg/m² via 180-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. Leucovorin: 400 mg/m² via 120-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. 5-Fluorouracil: 2400 mg/m² via continuous intravenous infusion over 46 hours. Citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) : 500 mg orally three times daily (Days 1-14), administered with or without the chemotherapy regimen (depending on group assignment).
The trial evaluates a regimen combining mFOLFOX chemotherapy with citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor) for neoadjuvant therapy (pre-surgery) and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Treatment Protocol Preoperative (4-6 cycles) and Postoperative (6-8 cycles): Each 14-day cycle includes: Oxaliplatin: 85 mg/m² via 180-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. Leucovorin: 400 mg/m² via 120-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1. 5-Fluorouracil: 2400 mg/m² via continuous intravenous infusion over 46 hours.
The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Tumor downstaging rate (to ypTNM stage 0-I)
The proportion of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who, after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy with mFOLFOX or mFOLFOX plus Citrus flavonoid tablets (Alvenor), were downstaged to ypTNM stage 0-I based on postoperative surgical specimens.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
Three-year disease-free survival
Disease-free survival (DFS) was defined as the proportion of patients who, from the time of randomization until the end of year 3, did not experience any of the following events: disease progression; macroscopic or microscopic residual tumor after surgery; local recurrence; distant metastasis; or death from any cause, whichever occurred first.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 3 year
Overall survival
Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5 year
tumor regression grade (TRG)
TRG 0 indicates no residual tumor cells; TRG 1 indicates single cells or small groups of cells; TRG 2 indicates residual cancer with a desmoplastic response; and TRG 3 indicates minimal evidence of tumor response.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
Rate of Treatment-Related Adverse Events (Grade 3 or Higher)
Treatment-related adverse event rate (Grade ≥3): Refers to grade 3 or higher adverse drug reactions determined to be related to the investigational antineoplastic drug/treatment in clinical trials, excluding nonspecific infusion reactions.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Complete response (CR) rate
The proportion of patients with complete response (CR) after surgery. Complete response (CR): Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
Partial response (PR) rate
The proportion of patients with partial response (PR) after surgery. Partial response (PR): At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
Stable disease (SD) rate
The proportion of patients with stable disease (SD) after surgery. Stable disease (SD): Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum diameters while on study.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
Progressive disease (PD) rate
The proportion of patients with progressive disease (PD) after surgery. Progressive Disease (PD): At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (including the baseline if that is the smallest), with an absolute increase of at least 5 mm, or the appearance of one or more new lesions.
Time frame: Perioperative,2 weeks after surgery
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