Clinical trial · Interventional
Neoadjuvant Long-course Chemoradiation Plus PD-1 Blockade for Mid-low Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Efficacy and Safety of Neoadjuvant Long-course Chemoradiation Plus Tislelizumab in Mid-low Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: a Phase II, Multi-center, Open-label, Randomized Controlled Trial (POLARSTAR Trial)
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This is a phase II/III, multi-center, open-label, 3-arm, randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiation combined with Tislelizumab (PD-1 inhibitor) and subsequent TME surgery, by comparing assorted endpoints between two experiment groups (Experiment group 1: chemoradiation+concurrent PD-1 inhibitor; Experiment group 2: chemoradiation+sequential PD-1 inhibitor) with a control group (chemoradiation only).
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer | Malignant Rectal Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.78 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-course chemoradiation, with or without Tislelizumab (PD-1 inhibitor) | Combination Product | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (3)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- CRT+concurrent PD-1 inhibition (Experiment Arm 1)
- description
- Long-course chemoradiation plus PD-1 inhibition (Tislelizumab 200mg, 3 times, 3-week interval) starting on Day 8 of radiation therapy. TME surgery is scheduled in 8\~12 weeks after completion of radiation.
- interventionNames
- Combination Product: Long-course chemoradiation, with or without Tislelizumab (PD-1 inhibitor)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- CRT+sequential PD-1 inhibition (Experiment Arm 2)
- description
- Long-course chemoradiation plus PD-1 inhibition (Tislelizumab 200mg, 3 times, 3-week interval) starting on Day 15 after completion of radiation therapy. TME surgery is scheduled in 8\~12 weeks after completion of radiation.
- interventionNames
- Combination Product: Long-course chemoradiation, with or without Tislelizumab (PD-1 inhibitor)
- type
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 75 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 18\~75 * ECOG score 0\~2 * biopsy diagnosed rectal adenocarcinoma, distal margin within 10cm to anal verge * no distant metastasis, staged II/III (T4b excluded) by MRI * maximum diameter of rectal cancer lesion≥10mm according to baseline CT or MRI (i.e. a "measurable lesion" as per RECIST 1.1 criteria) * willing and able to comply with study protocol * consent to the use of blood and tissue specimens for study * no history of previous anti-tumor treatment (e.g. radiation, chemo, immuno, bio, herbal, etc.) * no disorders/diseases of immune system (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic vasculitis, scleroderma, pemphigus, dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, HIV infection, etc.) * no significant dysfunction of major viscera (e.g. heart, lung, liver, kidney, etc.) * no jaundice or gastrointestinal obstruction * no acute/ongoing infection * no significant irregularities in blood routine test and biochemical test results, particular requirements include: neutrophils≥1.5×109/L, HGB≥80g/L, platelet≥100×109/L, serum creatinine≤1.5×ULN, total bilirubin≤1.5×ULN, ALT、AST≤2.5×ULN * no social or mental disorder * for women of child-bearing age, a negative result of serological pregnancy test is required, and effective contraception measures from inclusion till 60 days after the last dose of study drug is required Exclusion Criteria: * multiple cancers, or with concomitant malignant tumors besides rectal cancer * having received any anti-cancer treatment (surgery, drugs, etc.) in the past 5 years * history of recent major surgery * with condition that affects the absorption of capecitabine via gastrointestinal tract (e.g. inability to swallow, nausea, vomiting, chronic diarrhea, etc.) * with uncontrolled, severe, concomitant diseases of any sort * allergic to any of the ingredients under study * estimated survival ≤ 5 years due to any reason * preparing for or having previously received organ or bone marrow transplant * having received immunosuppressive or systemic hormone therapy for immunosuppressive purposes within 1 month prior to inclusion * for patients with history of disorder of central nervous system, investigator discretion is required as to whether the clinical severity prevents the signing of informed consent or affects the patient's oral medication compliance * with other conditions/issues that may affect the study results or cause the study treatment to be terminated halfway (e.g. alcoholism, drug abuse, etc.) * pregnant or lactating women, or women intending on conception during treatment period
References
Publications (4)
- BACKGROUNDPang K, Yang Y, Zhao P, Wu G, Li J, Gao J, Yao H, Yang Y, Zhang Z. Adding immune checkpoint blockade to neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer. Br J Surg. 2022 Oct 14;109(11):1178-1179. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znac298. No abstract available. PMID 36001602
- DERIVEDPang K, Sun P, Liu X, Yang D, Zhao P, Huang Y, Cao S, Gao Y, Chen G, Yu H, Duan L, Yang Y, Zhang Z. Development of the rationale of a personalized cancer vaccine based on the in situ vaccine effect of radiotherapy: a mechanistic study of the POLARSTAR trial. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2025 Nov 12;74(12):369. doi: 10.1007/s00262-025-04229-3. PMID 41222702
- DERIVEDYang Y, Pang K, Lin G, Liu X, Gao J, Zhou J, Xu L, Gao Z, Wu Y, Li A, Han J, Wu G, Wang X, Li F, Ye Y, Zhang J, Chen G, Wang H, Kong Y, Wu A, Xiao Y, Yao H, Zhang Z. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation with or without PD-1 blockade in locally advanced rectal cancer: a randomized phase 2 trial. Nat Med. 2025 Feb;31(2):449-456. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03360-5. Epub 2025 Jan 6. PMID 39762418
- DERIVEDPang K, Yang Y, Tian D, Zeng N, Cao S, Ling S, Gao J, Zhao P, Wang H, Kong Y, Zhang J, Chen G, Deng W, Bai Z, Jin L, Wu G, Zhu D, Wang Y, Zhou J, Wu B, Lin G, Xiao Y, Gao Z, Ye Y, Wang X, Li A, Han J, Yao H, Yang Y, Zhang Z. Long-course chemoradiation plus concurrent/sequential PD-1 blockade as neoadjuvant treatment for MMR-status-unscreened locally advanced rectal cancer: protocol of a multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial (the POLAR-STAR trial). BMJ Open. 2023 Sep 12;13(9):e069499. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069499. PMID 37699634