Esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancers are serious diseases with limited cure rates, even when patients receive chemotherapy and surgery. New ways to improve treatment are urgently needed.
This study will test whether adding a commonly used cholesterol-lowering medication, simvastatin, to standard cancer treatment can improve outcomes. Simvastatin is widely used, safe, and inexpensive. Research suggests that it may also slow cancer growth by blocking pathways that cancer cells rely on for survival.
In this trial, patients will receive standard chemotherapy (with or without immunotherapy) before surgery. Half of the patients will also take simvastatin daily for up to two years. Researchers will compare how well tumors respond to treatment and whether patients remain cancer-free longer.
If successful, this approach could offer a simple and accessible way to improve survival for patients with these cancers without adding significant side effects or cost.