Rectal cancer brachytherapy after treatment to avoid surgery
Part of Cancer, Digestive system clinical trials.
This trial tests a special type of internal radiation (brachytherapy) for people with low-lying rectal cancer that did not fully go away after standard chemoradiation and chemotherapy. The goal is to shrink the remaining tumor enough to avoid major surgery like removing the rectum or colostomy.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You are between 18 and 100 years old.
- You have a type of rectal cancer called 'MMR-proficient' (a test your doctor can do).
- You finished total neoadjuvant therapy (chemotherapy and radiation) 4 to 16 weeks ago, but your tumor did not completely disappear.
- The remaining tumor is less than 4 cm long, less than 1.2 cm thick, and involves less than half the circumference of the rectum.
- The tumor is above the dentate line (not in the anal canal).
- You are generally healthy enough for the procedure (ECOG score 0–3).
- You do not have active inflammatory bowel disease (like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis) or a history of pelvic radiation for another cancer.
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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