A Phase 3 interventional study of Short-course radiotherapy and Long-course radiation in Early Low Rectal Cancer, sponsored by Fudan University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-12.
Sponsored by Fudan University · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
TORCH-E3 is a prospective, multicentre, randomized phase III trial. 394 low-lying early (T1-3b/N0-1M0, distance from anal verge ≤5cm) patients will be recruited and assigned to Group 1 and Group 2 (1:1). Group 1 receives SCRT (25Gy/5Fx) followed by 4 cycles of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX) chemotherapy and PD-1 antibody. Group 2 receives LCRT (50Gy/25Fx) followed by 2 cycles of CAPOX. A WW option can be applied to patients achieving cCR while surgery will be recommended for those who fail to achieve cCR. The primary endpoint is 3y TME-free survival. The secondary endpoints include complete response (CR, pathological complete response [pCR] plus cCR) rate, the grade 3-4 acute adverse effects (AE) rate, anal preservation rate, 3-year DFS rate, etc.
Fudan University is the lead sponsor of 1,316 studies on the registry; 644 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
baseline blood and biochemical indicators do not meet the following criteria: neutrophils≥1.5×10\^9/L, ≥90g/L, ≥100×10\^9/L, /AST
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.
Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Karnofsky performance status (KPS)
A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.
Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients will receive SCRT (25Gy/5Fx, SCRT), followed by 4 cycles of CAPOX and PD-1 antibody, finally receive the TEM or TME surgery or adopt WW option.
Radiation: Short-course radiotherapy · Drug: PD-1 antibody (Sintilimab) · Drug: Oxaliplatin · Drug: Capecitabine
Patients will receive LCRT (50Gy/25Fx,LCRT, concurrent capecitabine), followed by 2 cycles of CAPOX, finally receive the TEM or TME surgery or adopt WW option.
Radiation: Long-course radiation · Drug: Oxaliplatin · Drug: Capecitabine
SCRT: 25Gy/5Fx
LCRT: 50Gy/25Fx
Sintilimab 200mg d1 q3w
Also known as: Sintilimab
Oxaliplatin: 130mg/m2 d1 q3w
Xeloda
3 year TME-free survival rate
Rate of 3 year TME-free survival
Time frame: the proportion of patients who remain alive and have not undergone total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery within three years from the start of treatment.
complete response (CR) rate
Rate of complete response (CR), including the rate of pathologic complete response (pCR) after surgery and the rate of cCR with W\&W strategy.
Time frame: 1 month after the surgery or the decision of W&W
Organ preservation rate
Organ preservation rate
Time frame: from date of receiving neoadjuvant therapy, assessed up to 3 years
3 year local recurrence free survival rate
Rate of 3 year local recurrence free survival
Time frame: From date of initiation of treatment until the date of first documented pelvic failure, assessed up to 36 months.
3 year disease free survival rate
Rate of 3 year disease free survival
Time frame: From date of initiation of treatment until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 36 months.
3 year overall survival rate
Rate of 3 year overall survival
Time frame: From date of initiation of treatment until the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 36 months
3 year Quality of Life
Quality of life will be evaluated using EORTC QLQ-C30 score.
Time frame: From date of initiation of treatment until the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 3 years
Grade 3-4 adverse effects rate
Rate of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy related adverse events
Time frame: From date of randomization until 3 months after the completion neoadjuvant therapy
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Dec 2027, 13 months later.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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