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TerminatedNCT03301454E-DIS2Updated Mar 18, 2026

Study of the Interest of Pursuing or Not the Chemotherapy for Patients With Metastatic Esophageal Cancer

A Phase 2 interventional study of pursuit of chemotherapy in Esophageal Cancer, Squamous Cell, sponsored by Centre Oscar Lambret. Terminated at 5 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-18.

Sponsored by Centre Oscar Lambret · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
This decision was taken on June 20 2022 due to low recruitment over the past 4 years.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
15
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Phase II study, randomized, open-label, multicentric, willing to establish the benefit of pursuing chemotherapy beyond 6 weeks for non progressive patients. The study will proceed in two successive phases :

  • non randomized phase in which all patients will undergo chemotherapy
  • second phase in which only non progressive patients are going to be randomized ("discontinuation design"). Patients that will show progression in their disease during the first 6 weeks will be released of the study
Read the detailed description

Initial phase: this part of the trial consist of 3 cycles of LV5FU2 (Bolus 5-FU 400mg/m² - 5-FU continuously during 46h: 3000 mg/m², calcium levofolinate 200 mg/m²) - paclitaxel (100 mg/m² at day 1) every 14 days. After 6 weeks,the phase will end with a check-up (clinical exam, tumor evaluation and biological test). Then, if the disease is non-progressive, the patient will proceed to the randomized phase.

Randomized phase:

  • Arm A : pursuit of chemotherapy and best supportive care
  • Arm B : interruption of chemotherapy and best supportive care
02

Conditions studied

  • Esophageal Cancer, Squamous Cell
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients suffering from squamous-cell type esophageal cancer histologically proved
  • Metastatic disease measurable according to RECIST criteria. Patients with metachronous metastasis and who have been treated with surgery (+/- radio chemotherapy concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy) or exclusive radio chemotherapy, are eligible
  • Patients who show progress under chemotherapy that associates a fluoropyrimidine with a platinum salt
  • Man or woman over 18 years old
  • ECOG performance status ≤ 2
  • Adequate haematological, renal and hepatic functions : PNN ≥ 1500/ mm3; platelets ≥ 100 000/ mm3; Haemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL; ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 ULN (≤ 5.0 in case of liver metastases); Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 X ULN; Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 ULN
  • Efficient contraceptive method for both gender (if applicable), during the whole treatment period and the 6 months following the last treatment administration
  • Affiliation to the National Social Security System
  • With informed and signed consent

Inclusion Criteria for randomization:

  • ECOG performance status ≤ 2
  • Able to pursuit the LV5FU2-paclitaxel chemotherapy
  • Non-progressive disease after the initial phase (first tumor exam at week 6)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who received more than one line of chemotherapy for a metastatic disease
  • Presence of other evolutive tumors
  • Cerebral metastasis or other known brain tumors
  • Severe liver failure
  • Pernicious anemia or other anemia due to vitamin B12 defficiency
  • Hypersensibility to an active substance or any other excipients of experimental drugs
  • Every unstable chronicle diseases that can affect patient confidence or security
  • Clinically significant active cardiac disease or myocardial infarction in the 6 previous months
  • Patients with a known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency
  • Concomitant treatment with : sorivudin or analogs; prophylactic phenytoin
  • Live attenuated vaccine within the 3 previous months
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Unable to comply with the medical monitoring for geographic, social or mental issues
  • Patient Under guardianship or tutorship
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
15 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Arm A

    Pursuit of chemotherapy.

    Drug: pursuit of chemotherapy

  • No intervention
    Arm B

    Interruption of chemotherapy, best supportive care

Interventions

  • Drugpursuit of chemotherapy

    Treatment with LV5FU2 (5-FU, Calcium Levofolinate) - paclitaxel, regular tumor evaluation, best supportive care Other authorized treatment : usual paclitaxel pre-treatment consisting of Dexamethasone, Chlorpheniramine and ranitidine, at 15 and 1 day before the actual paclitaxel treatment

    Also known as: LV5FU2-paclitaxel CT

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Estimate the overall survival for patients suffering from Esophageal cancer

    Non-progressive disease at and after 6 weeks of treatment until progression

    Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of death from any cause, up to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Estimate efficiency in term of overall survival, of pursuing chemotherapy

    beyond 6 weeks of treatment compared to a group that interrupted the treatment at 6 weeks

    Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of death from any cause, up to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment

  2. Estimate the efficiency in term of progression-free of pursuing chemotherapy

    beyond 6 weeks of treatment

    Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, up to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment

  3. Estimate the rate of non progressive patients

    after the 6 firsts weeks of treatment

    Time frame: From date of inclusion until the date of the end the 6 firsts weeks of treatment

  4. Estimate the overall survival of the whole study population

    beyond the inclusion

    Time frame: From date of inclusion until the date of death from any cause, up to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment

  5. Measure the toxicity of chemotherapy

    during the initial treatment phase compared to the 2 treatment arms after randomization

    Time frame: from baseline up to 12 months

  6. Estimate the consequences of pursuing chemotherapy

    beyond 6 weeks of treatment in term of time until degradation of life quality and in term of overall benefits

    Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, up to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment

06

Study locations

5 sites
  • Hôpital Privé Arras Les Bonnettes
    Arras, 62000, France
  • Centre Hospitalier de Boulogne sur mer
    Boulogne-sur-Mer, 62200, France
  • Centre François Baclesse
    Caen, 14076, France
  • Centre Oscar Lambret
    Lille, 59020, France
  • Centre René Gauducheau
    Nantes, 44805, France
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03301454
Lead sponsor
Centre Oscar Lambret
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 4, 2017
Start date
Aug 20, 2018
Primary completion
Jul 5, 2022
Completion
Jul 5, 2022
Last update
Mar 18, 2026

Study contacts

Farid EL HAJBI, MD
principal investigator · Centre Oscar Lambret

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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