CClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07802002Updated Sep 3, 2026

A Prospective, Single-Arm Clinical Study of a Dietary Supplement for the Prevention of Acute Radiation-Induced Rectal Injury During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

An interventional study of Tributyrin in Radiotherapy and Radiation-Induced Complications, sponsored by Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-03.

Sponsored by Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
23
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This clinical study is a prospective, single-arm, single-center trial aimed at assessing the safety and efficacy of tributyrin (TB) as a dietary supplement for preventing acute radiation-induced rectal injury (ARII). Approximately 23 participants with locally advanced rectal cancer will receive tributyrin in addition to standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We hypothesize that tributyrin will reduce the incidence of grade 2 or higher ARII, graded according to the RTOG/EORTC criteria. Treatment-related adverse events will be assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), and changes in health-related quality of life and bowel function will be assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and IBD-Q questionnaires.

02

Conditions studied

  • Radiotherapy
  • Radiation-Induced Complications

Keywords

  • Radiotherapy
  • Radiation-induced rectal injury
  • Tributyrin
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma.
  2. Clinically staged as locally advanced rectal cancer (cT3-4 and/or N+). Planned to receive short-course radiotherapy or long-course radiotherapy combined with concurrent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy.
  3. ECOG performance status of 0 or 1.
  4. Baseline defecation frequency \< 3 times/day, with no significant abdominal pain or tenesmus.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Previous history of total mesorectal excision (TME) or other intestinal resection surgeries.
  2. Diagnosis of severe diarrhea, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or chronic radiation enteritis.
  3. Previous history of pelvic radiotherapy.
  4. Presence of malignant pleural effusion or malignant ascites, or complete/incomplete intestinal obstruction, rendering the patient unable to tolerate dietary supplement therapy.
  5. Participation in other investigational drug trials within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
  6. Receiving non-conventional chemotherapy regimens (non-fluoropyrimidine drugs) or concurrent participation in other trials involving potent mucosa-damaging drugs.
  7. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  8. History of alcoholism, drug abuse, or substance abuse within the past 1 year.
  9. History of severe allergies or known allergy to the ingredients of the dietary supplement.
04

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
23 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Dietary supplements

    Participants receive oral tributyrin in addition to standard neoadjuvant pelvic radiotherapy and standard clinical care.

    Dietary Supplement: Tributyrin

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementTributyrin

    Participants receive oral tributyrin in addition to standard neoadjuvant pelvic radiotherapy and standard clinical care. Tributyrin is administered at a dose of 1,650 mg three times daily after meals. Intervention will begin on the first day of radiotherapy and continue until 28 days after completion of short-course radiotherapy or 14 days after completion of long-course radiotherapy. Standard clinical care includes dietary counseling, symptom management, probiotics, antidiarrheal agents, antiemetics, oral rehydration salts, and topical skin-care products. Additional treatment may be provided at the investigator's discretion if clinically significant adverse events occur.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of RTOG grade 2 or higher acute radiation-induced rectal injury

    The proportion of participants who develop acute radiation-induced rectal injury of Grade 2 or higher, based on the highest RTOG grade recorded from the start of radiotherapy through 3 months after completion of radiotherapy.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 3 months after completion of radiotherapy

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incidence of chronic radiation-induced rectal injury

    The proportion of participants who develop chronic radiation-induced rectal injury during the period from more than 3 months through 12 months after completion of radiotherapy.

    Time frame: From more than 3 months to 12 months after completion of radiotherapy

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
    Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, China
    Recruiting
07

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07802002
Lead sponsor
Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 3, 2026
Start date
Jul 1, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 3, 2026

Study contacts

Lekun Fang
Contact
fanglk3@mail.sysu.edu.cn
+8613560226002
Weiyao Li
Contact
liwy229@mail.sysu.edu.cn
+8618820408830

Oversight

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

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion