To observe and evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with Adebrelimab and Apatinib Mesylate in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer and low-lying rectal cancer with sphincter-preservation demand.
The pathological complete response (pCR) rate of standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is only 10%-15%, and patients with low-lying rectal cancer face difficulties in sphincter preservation, with their quality of life severely compromised. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemoradiotherapy have demonstrated potential to improve pCR rates, with the NECTAR study reporting a pCR rate of 40% and the VOLTAGE-A study showing a pCR rate of 30% in MSS patients. Anti-angiogenic agents can reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and exert synergistic antitumor effects when combined with chemoradiotherapy and immunotherapy. Based on the above background, this study is a single-center, single-arm phase II clinical trial designed to enroll 43 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and low-lying rectal cancer with sphincter-preservation demand, to explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy (45-50 Gy/25 fractions, concurrent capecitabine) combined with Adebrelimab (an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody) and Apatinib Mesylate (an anti-angiogenic TKI). This study aims to provide rectal cancer patients with novel therapeutic strategies offering higher remission rates and greater opportunities for sphincter preservation.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
43
Long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimen: 45-50 Gy administered in 25 fractions, with concurrent capecitabine 1650 mg/m²/day, bid on days 1-14, every 3 weeks as one cycle. Adebrelimab: 1200 mg, intravenous infusion, on D1, once every 3 weeks. Apatinib: 250 mg, orally, 5 days on and 2 days off; if the patient cannot tolerate the toxicity, the dose may be reduced to 125 mg once daily. Each cycle is 21 days, with a total of 6 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy before surgery. Efficacy evaluation is performed after every 2 cycles. After 6 cycles of long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with Adebrelimab and Apatinib, the research team will reassess the patient. For resectable patients, surgery will be performed 4-6 weeks after neoadjuvant therapy. For patients who decline surgery or are deemed unfit for surgery after 6 cycles, if the investigator believes that continued treatment with Adebrelimab and Apatinib may still provide benefit, the treatment may be continued until
No. 150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
Complete Response Rate (cCR+pCR)
Proportion of patients achieving clinical complete response (cCR, no tumor residue by imaging and endoscopy) after neoadjuvant therapy or pathological complete response (pCR, no residual viable tumor cells in the tumor bed, %RVT=0) post-surgery.
Time frame: cCR assessed after neoadjuvant therapy; pCR assessed within 2 weeks post-surgery; assessed up to 6 months.
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Proportion of patients achieving complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) per RECIST 1.1 criteria on imaging.
Time frame: Imaging assessment after every 2 cycles(21 days per cycle) of treatment and post-surgery; assessed up to 6 months.
Pathological Complete Response (pCR)
Proportion of patients with no residual viable tumor cells in the tumor bed (%RVT=0) after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery
Time frame: Assessed via pathological examination of surgical specimens within 2 weeks post-surgery; assessed up to 6 months.
Tumor Regression Grade (TRG):
Assessment of pathological tumor regression grade per CAP criteria (grades 0-3), where grade 0 indicates complete regression (no viable tumor cells microscopically) and grade 3 indicates poor or no regression.
Time frame: Assessed via pathological examination of surgical specimens within 2 weeks post-surgery; assessed up to 6 months.
Sphincter Preservation Rate
Proportion of patients with low-lying rectal cancer who successfully preserve the anal sphincter and undergo low/ultra-low anastomosis.
Time frame: Assessed within 2 weeks post-surgery; assessed up to 6 months.
Disease-Free Survival (DFS)
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Time from enrollment to disease recurrence or death due to disease progression.
Time frame: Time from first treatment to recurrence or death (whichever occurs first), assessed up to 36 months.
Overall Survival (OS)
Time from first study drug administration to death from any cause.
Time frame: Time from first treatment to death from any cause, assessed up to 36 months.
Adverse Event Rate
Incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) graded per NCI-CTCAE v6.0; surgical complications graded per Clavien-Dindo classification.
Time frame: Continuous monitoring from informed consent to 90 days after the last dose; assessed up to 36 months.
Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-CR29)
Assessment of bowel symptoms, sexual function, and overall quality of life; higher scores indicate worse symptoms or better function.
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, pre-surgery post-neoadjuvant therapy, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery (5 time points in total); assessed up to 12 months.
Anal Function (LARS Score)
Assessment of low anterior resection syndrome, total score 0-42 (0-20: no/mild LARS; 21-29: moderate; 30-42: severe).
Time frame: Assessed at baseline, pre-surgery post-neoadjuvant therapy, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery (5 time points in total);assessed up to 12 months.
Biomarker Exploration
Collection of tumor tissue and peripheral blood samples for genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and immune microenvironment analyses to identify potential predictive and prognostic biomarkers associated with efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy.
Time frame: Baseline tumor tissue and peripheral blood collected. Peripheral blood sampled 3 times during treatment (pre-RT, post-RT, and pre-surgery); tissue collected once at baseline only. Assessed up to 6 months.