Testing the Addition of an Anti-Cancer Drug, Irinotecan, to the Standard Chemotherapy Treatment (FOLFOX) After Long-Course Radiation Therapy for Advanced-Stage Rectal Cancers to Improve the Rate of Complete Response and Long-Term Rates of Organ Preservation (JANUS)

Location: Edward Cancer Center - Naperville
Edward Cancer Center - Plainfield
Nancy Knowles Cancer Center - Elmhurst

Purpose:

This phase II trial compares the effect of irinotecan versus oxaliplatin after long-course chemoradiation in patients with stage II-III rectal cancer. Combination chemotherapy drugs, such as FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, irinotecan, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin), FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan ), and CAPOX (capecitabin and oxaliplatin) work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. FOLFOX or CAPOX are used after chemoradiation as usual treatment for rectal cancer. Giving FOLFIRINOX after chemoradiation may increase the response rate and lead to higher rates of clinical complete response (with a chance of avoiding surgery) compared to FOLFOX or CAPOX after chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05610163

Eligibility:

• Must have stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma defined as T4N0 or any T with node positive disease (any T, N+); also T3N0 requiring abdominal perineal resection (APR) or coloanal anastomosis.
• Tumor must be =< 12cm from the anal verge.
• No prior systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy; or radiation therapy administered as treatment for colorectal cancer within the past 5 years is allowed
• Not pregnant and not nursing, because this study involves an agent that has known genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects
• No recurrent rectal cancer; prior transanal excision, prior distal sigmoid cancer with a low anastomosis
• No known mismatch repair deficient rectal adenocarcinoma

Time Commitment: Approx. 5-6 years