Aspirus Regional Cancer Center

Cancer Clinical Trials

This is a current listing of active clinical trials at the Aspirus Regional Cancer Center. From this list you can select a specific cancer that you are interested in (for example, breast or colon cancer) and then review the clinical trials that are active at the Aspirus Regional Cancer Center for that specific disease.

Esophageal Cancer Treated without Surgery

Trial Name: A Phase III Trial Evaluating The Addition of Cetuximab To Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Radiation For Patients With Esophageal Cancer Who Are Treated Without Surgery.

Protocol ID: RTOG 0436

Eligibility:

Eligibility:
  • Pathologically (histologic or cytologic) proven diagnosis of primary squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction within 12 weeks prior to registration onto the study. 
  • Patients with celiac, perigastric, mediastinal or supraclavicular adenopathy are eligible.
  • Patients with cervical esophageal carcinoma are eligible.
  • Must meet required laboratory values
  • Patient’s total intake (oral/enteral) must be >1500 kCal/day.
  • Age > 18
  • Women of childbearing potential and make participants must practice adequate contraception.
Ineligibility:
  • Prior invasive malignancy (except non-melanomatous skin cancer) unless disease free for a minimum of 2 years (For example, carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix are all permissible).
  • Prior systemic chemotherapy for esophageal cancer; note that prior chemotherapy for a different cancer is allowable.
  • Prior platinum-based and/or paclitaxel-based therapy.
  • Prior allergic reaction to the study drugs involved in this protocol.
  • Prior severe infusion reaction to a monoclonal antibody.
  • Pregnancy or women of childbearing potential and men who are sexually active and not willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception.

Women who are nursing. 

Enrollment: About 420 people will take part in this study.

Benefits:

Taking part in this study may or may not make your health better. While researchers hope radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and cetuximab will be more useful against cancer compared to the usual treatment, there is no proof of this yet. We do know that the information from this study will help researchers learn more about this therapy combination as a treatment for a cancer. This information could help future cancer patients.

Contact:

These clinical trial overviews are intended to provide a brief overview of the clinical trial. To help determine whether the trial is appropriate for you, the major eligibility criteria are listed above. To obtain more information on the eligibility and the treatment plan, please contact our Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator, Beth Knetter at 715-847-2353 or 1-800-283-2881, ext.72353.

Created: Aug 18, 2009

Updated: Jan 18, 2013

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