Lymphocyte-sparing Thoracic Radiotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors. Although neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with surgery has significantly improved the survival rate of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, approximately half of the patients will experience local regional recurrence or distant metastasis. Lymphocytes are crucial immune cells in the human body, playing a key role in combating infections and tumor development. In recent years, an increasing body of research has indicated that lymphocyte depletion is a significant factor associated with poor prognosis in various solid tumors, including esophageal cancer. The lymphocyte depletion caused by radiotherapy has garnered considerable attention from oncologists. However, there is still a lack of prospective clinical research data on lymphocyte protection in thoracic tumors. Therefore, this study aims to provide high-level evidence from evidence-based medicine regarding the correlation between lymphocyte depletion and prognosis in esophageal cancer patients, offering more effective strategies and methods to improve the outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer.

NCT Number	NCT06596954
Lead Sponsor	Ruijin Hospital
Conditions	Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer
Enrollment	212 participants
Start Date	2024-06-30
Primary Completion	2026-11-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-11