Trial of XELOX Followed by Radiation Combined With Carboplatin and RAD001 for Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Recent medical advances have led to small improvements in survival, but the overall rate of survival remains low, making new treatment approaches necessary.

Chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy are often both used in treating esophageal cancer. The combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine (XELOX) is a commonly used chemotherapy combination. Sometimes chemotherapy is given as an "induction" therapy, before the radiation is given.

The drug RAD001 is a targeted drug that acts specifically on a protein inside cells (called mTOR), which is important for cancer development. The combination of RAD001 and radiation therapy has been shown to improve anti-cancer effects.

This study will look for the ideal dose of RAD001 when given in combination with radiation therapy after induction chemotherapy with XELOX, and test the anticancer effects of this treatment approach in patients with esophageal cancer.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal (GE) junction.
• Patients can have disease that is resectable or unresectable.
• Patients must not have had prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy for esophageal cancer.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1.
• Age ≥ 18.
• Adequate bone marrow, liver and renal function as assessed by the following:

• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/mm³.
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³.
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN).
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN (≤ 5 x ULN for patients with liver involvement).
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN.
• Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 300 mg/dL OR ≤ 7.75 mmol/L AND fasting triglycerides ≤ 2.5 x ULN. NOTE: In case one or both of these thresholds are exceeded, the patient can only be included after initiation of appropriate lipid lowering medication.
• Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test prior to first receiving investigational product. Sexually active women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must use an effective method of birth control during the course of the study, in a manner such that risk of failure is minimized. All WOCBP should be instructed to contact the Investigator immediately if they suspect they might be pregnant (e.g., missed or late menstrual period) at any time during study participation.
• Patient must be willing to sign informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients currently receiving other investigational agents.
• Patients with known distant metastases.
• Patients who have received prior treatment with an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor (sirolimus, temsirolimus, everolimus).
• Patients with a known hypersensitivity to RAD001 (everolimus) or other rapamycins (sirolimus, temsirolimus) or to its excipients.
• Known hypersensitivity to oxaliplatin, other platinum-containing compounds.
• Patients with known brain metastases.
• Patients who have any severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions or other conditions that could affect their participation in the study such as a known history of HIV seropositivity.
• History of active hepatitis B or C.
• Co-administration with strong inhibitors of cytochrome P450 3A4 isoenzyme (CYP3A4) (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir) or P-glycoprotein (PgP).
• Patients with an active, bleeding diathesis.
• Patients with significant intercurrent medical illness (including New York Heart Association [NYHA] class III or IV heart disease, significant arrhythmias requiring medication, symptomatic coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction) within the previous 6 months.