Clinical Research Directory

Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Combination With Perioperative Pembrolizumab Versus Upfront Surgery for Patients With Primary Resectable and Borderline Resectable Perihilar and Distal Cholangiocarcinoma

Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) is a rare and aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. ECCA can be further subcategorised in perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA and dCCA). Surgical resection is the only potential cure, but only one-third of patients are eligible. Even among those deemed resectable, a significant portion (≈30%) experience disease progression before surgery, while another 30% are found unresectable during exploration. High recurrence rates and postoperative complications further limit survival, with 5-year overall survival ranging from 13% (R1 resection) to 40% (R0 resection). Given the long preoperative work-up period and lack of treatment during this phase, a neoadjuvant approach may improve outcomes by increasing R0 resections, reducing recurrence, and optimizing patient selection. This multicenter, randomized phase 2B/3 trial aims to assess whether neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin plus perioperative pembrolizumab improves event-free survival in patients with resectable and borderline resectable pCCA and dCCA.

Benefit of Intensified Peri-operative Chemotherapy Within High-risk CINSARC Patients With Resectable Soft-tissue Sarcomas

The primary objective of this trial is to investigate whether the addition of 3 additional neo-adjuvant cycles of chemotherapy (doxorubicin based chemotherapy) to standard management according to the ISG-STS 10-01 study (3 cycles of neoadjuvant doxorubicin based chemotherapy + surgery +/- radiotherapy) improves the outcome of high-risk CINSARC patients with resectable soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). Primary endpoint is metastatic progression-free survival (M-PFS, after 3 years of follow-up).