PROSPECT: Chemotherapy Alone or Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Undergoing Surgery

Summary

The standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer involves chemotherapy and radiation, known as 5FUCMT, (the chemotherapy drugs 5-fluorouracil/capecitabine and radiation therapy) prior to surgery. Although radiation therapy to the pelvis has been a standard and important part of treatment for rectal cancer and has been shown to decrease the risk of the cancer coming back in the same area in the pelvis, some patients experience undesirable side effects from the radiation and there have been important advances in chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation which may be of benefit. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects, both good and bad, of the standard treatment of chemotherapy and radiation to chemotherapy using a combination regimen known as FOLFOX, (the drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin and leucovorin) and selective use of the standard treatment, depending on response to the FOLFOX. The drugs in the FOLFOX regimen are all FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved and have been used routinely to treat patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Timeline

Start

2012-06-12

Primary completion

2022-12-31

Completion

2024-06-30

Publications

• Zhang T, Shi L, Jian L, Jiang J, Qiu Y, Xie F, Zhang J, Peng H, Zhong L, Chen Y, Zhong Y, Deng Y; FOWARC Group. Clinical Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness of FOLFOX Versus LCCRT in Neoadjuvant Treatment for Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: An Economic Analysis of the FOWARC and PROSPECT Trial. Ann Surg Oncol. 2026 May;33(5):3814-3826. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-18802-8. Epub 2025 Dec 11.
• Felder S, Frakes J, George M, Rosen A, Sahin IH. Which Treatment for Which Patient: Rectal Cancer Management After PROSPECT Trial. Oncology (Williston Park). 2024 May 13;38(5):187-190. doi: 10.46883/2024.25921019.
• Schrag D, Shi Q, Weiser MR, Gollub MJ, Saltz LB, Musher BL, Goldberg J, Al Baghdadi T, Goodman KA, McWilliams RR, Farma JM, George TJ, Kennecke HF, Shergill A, Montemurro M, Nelson GD, Colgrove B, Gordon V, Venook AP, O'Reilly EM, Meyerhardt JA, Dueck AC, Basch E, Chang GJ, Mamon HJ. Preoperative Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jul 27;389(4):322-334. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2303269. Epub 2023 Jun 4.
• Basch E, Dueck AC, Mitchell SA, Mamon H, Weiser M, Saltz L, Gollub M, Rogak L, Ginos B, Mazza GL, Colgrove B, Chang G, Minasian L, Denicoff A, Thanarajasingam G, Musher B, George T, Venook A, Farma J, O'Reilly E, Meyerhardt JA, Shi Q, Schrag D. Patient-Reported Outcomes During and After Treatment for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer in the PROSPECT Trial (Alliance N1048). J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jul 20;41(21):3724-3734. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00903. Epub 2023 Jun 4.
• Schrag D, Weiser M, Saltz L, Mamon H, Gollub M, Basch E, Venook A, Shi Q. Challenges and solutions in the design and execution of the PROSPECT Phase II/III neoadjuvant rectal cancer trial (NCCTG N1048/Alliance). Clin Trials. 2019 Apr;16(2):165-175. doi: 10.1177/1740774518824539. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Drugs

Indications