Last reviewed · How we verify

NCT03792347: PALACE-1

Preoperative Anti-PD-1 Antibody Combined With Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Esophagus

Completed Phase 1 Results posted Last updated 22 November 2023
What this trial tests

Phase 1 trial testing Pembrolizumab in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in 20 participants. Completed in 17 June 2020.

Timeline
21 January 2019
Primary endpoint
17 March 2020
17 June 2020

Quick facts

Lead sponsorHecheng Li M.D., Ph.D
PhasePhase 1
StatusCompleted
Study typeINTERVENTIONAL
Allocationna
Designsingle group
Maskingnone
Primary purposetreatment
Enrollment20
Start date21 January 2019
Primary completion17 March 2020
Estimated completion17 June 2020
Sites1 location across China

Drugs / interventions tested

Conditions studied

Sponsor

Hecheng Li M.D., Ph.D

Who can join

Adults 18 to 75, any sex, with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Safety (Number of Participants With Grade 3 and Higher-grade Treatment-related Adverse Events) Primary · From date of treatment allocation until surgery was applied during study period or up to at least 90 days after last dose

The number of participants with grade 3 and higher-grade treatment-related adverse events. Adverse events were evaluated using CTCAE 4.0, grade 3 treatment-related adverse events and higher-grade adverse events were reported.

GroupValue95% CI
Preoperative Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy Group13
Feasibility (Number of Participants Who Finished Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy and Receive Surgery Within 4-6 Weeks After Preoperative Therapies) Secondary · From date of treatment allocation until surgery or definitive chemoradiotherapy was applied, whichever came first, assessed up to 5 months

The number of participants who finished pembrolizumab with chemoradiotherapy and receive surgery within 4-6 weeks after preoperative therapies.

GroupValue95% CI
Preoperative Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy Group11
Pathologic Complete Response Secondary · Two weeks after surgery

Pathologic complete response was defined as the lack of all signs of cancer in tissue samples removed during surgery after treatment with pembrolizumab and chemoradiotherapy.

GroupValue95% CI
Preoperative Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy Group10
Radiographic Response Secondary · From date of treatment allocation and during treatment period up to 3 months

To assess radiographic response to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab with concurrent chemoradiotherapy using RECIST 1.1. Complete metabolic response (cMR), defined as a physiological distribution of FDG uptake on PET-CT with a SUVmax value of less than 4 with no nodal uptake.

GroupValue95% CI
Preoperative Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy Group6

Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Time frame: From date of treatment allocation until surgery was applied during study period or up to at least 90 days after last dose.. Reporting threshold: 5%. Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.

Preoperative Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy Group
Serious: 13/20 (65%)
Deaths: 1/20

Serious adverse events (4 terms)

ReactionSystemPreoperative Pembrolizumab…
LymphopeniaBlood and lymphatic system disorders
LeukopeniaBlood and lymphatic system disorders
Decreased neutrophil countBlood and lymphatic system disorders
Esophageal hemorrhageGastrointestinal disorders
Other adverse events (23 terms — click to expand)

ReactionSystemPreoperative Pembrolizumab…
LeukopeniaBlood and lymphatic system disorders
AnemiaBlood and lymphatic system disorders
AlopeciaGeneral disorders
FatigueGeneral disorders
EsophagitisGastrointestinal disorders
AnorexiaGeneral disorders
Decreased neutrophil countBlood and lymphatic system disorders
LymphopeniaBlood and lymphatic system disorders
NauseaGastrointestinal disorders
PneumonitisRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
ConstipationGastrointestinal disorders
Postoperative PneumoniaRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
AtelectasisRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
HoarsenessInjury, poisoning and procedural complications
VomitingGastrointestinal disorders
Pleural effusionRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
DiarrheaGastrointestinal disorders
PneumothoraxRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
Anastomotic leakageRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
Gastrointestinal fistulaGastrointestinal disorders
Wound infectionSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
DysphagiaGastrointestinal disorders
Postoperative intrathoracic hemorrhageRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders

Most-reported serious reactions: Lymphopenia, Leukopenia, Decreased neutrophil count, Esophageal hemorrhage.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03792347 adverse events section.

Sponsor's own description

This study will evaluate the safety and feasibility of preoperative immune checkpoint therapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. And this study will provide valuable information for further clinical trials of preoperative pembrolizumab and other immune checkpoint therapy in esophageal cancer treatment.

Publications & conference data

8 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

  1. Preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (PALACE-1).
    Li C, Zhao S, Zheng Y, Han Y, et al · · 2021 · cited 260× · PMID 33373868 · DOI 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.11.039
  2. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for resectable esophageal cancer: A review.
    Li Q, Liu T, Ding Z. · · 2022 · cited 43× · PMID 36569908 · DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1051841
  3. The Combination Options and Predictive Biomarkers of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Esophageal Cancer.
    Yang H, Wang K, Wang T, Li M, et al · · 2020 · cited 35× · PMID 32195194 · DOI 10.3389/fonc.2020.00300
  4. Immune evasion in esophageal squamous cell cancer: From the perspective of tumor microenvironment.
    Li R, Huang B, Tian H, Sun Z. · · 2022 · cited 33× · PMID 36698392 · DOI 10.3389/fonc.2022.1096717
  5. Immunotherapy for Esophageal Cancer: State-of-the Art in 2021.
    Teixeira Farinha H, Digklia A, Schizas D, Demartines N, et al · · 2022 · cited 33× · PMID 35158822 · DOI 10.3390/cancers14030554
  6. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: progress and opportunities.
    Jiao R, Luo H, Xu W, Ge H. · · 2019 · cited 26× · PMID 31551657 · DOI 10.2147/ott.s214579
  7. Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy in esophageal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
    Liu Y, Bao Y, Yang X, Sun S, et al · · 2023 · cited 24× · PMID 36761760 · DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1117448
  8. Preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Trial design.
    Zheng Y, Li C, Yu B, Zhao S, et al · · 2022 · cited 24× · PMID 36003437 · DOI 10.1016/j.xjon.2021.11.003

Verify or expand the search:

Other trials of Pembrolizumab

Trials testing the same drug.

Other recruiting trials for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Currently open trials in the same condition.

Other Hecheng Li M.D., Ph.D trials

Trials by the same sponsor.

Verify against primary sources

Data sources for this page

Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT03792347.

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing