Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer clinical trials at UC Irvine

Claudin 18.2 protein, or CLDN18.2 is a protein found on cells in the digestive system. It is also found on some tumors. Researchers are looking at ways to attack CLDN18.2 to help control tumors. ASP2138 is thought to bind to CLDN18.2 and a protein called on a type of immune cell called a T-cell. This "tells" the immune system to attack the tumor. ASP2138 is a potential treatment for people with stomach cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, (GEJ cancer) or pancreatic cancer. GEJ is where the tube that carries food (esophagus) joins the stomach). Before ASP2138 is available as a treatment, the researchers need to understand how it is processed by and acts upon the body. In this study, ASP2138 will either be given by itself, or given together with standard treatments for gastric, GEJ and pancreatic cancer. Pembrolizumab and mFOLFOX6 (modified leucovorin [folinic acid], 5-FU [fluorouracil], and oxaliplatin), and ramucirumab and paclitaxel are standard treatments for gastric and GEJ cancer. mFOLFIRINOX (modified leucovorin [folinic acid], 5-FU [fluorouracil], irinotecan and oxaliplatin) is a standard treatment for pancreatic cancer. This information will help to find a suitable dose of ASP2138 given by itself and together with the standard cancer treatments and to check for potential medical problems from the treatments. Adults 18 years or older with stomach cancer, GEJ cancer, or pancreatic cancer can take part. Their cancer is locally advanced unresectable or metastatic. Locally advanced means the cancer has spread to nearby tissue. Unresectable means the cancer cannot be removed by surgery. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The main aims of the study are to check the safety of ASP2138, and how well people cope with (tolerate) any medical problems during the study, and to find a suitable dose of ASP2138 to be used later in this study. These are done for ASP2138 given by itself and when given together with the standard cancer treatments. The study will have 2 phases. In phase 1, different small groups of people will receive lower to higher doses of ASP2138 given by itself or together with the standard cancer treatments. Any medical problems will be recorded at each dose. This is done to find suitable doses of ASP2138 to use later in the study. Doctors will also check how each type of cancer responds to ASP2138. In phase 1b, other different small groups will receive suitable doses of ASP2138 given by itself or together with the standard cancer treatments. Suitable doses will be found from phase 1. Phase 1b will check how each type of cancer responds to ASP2138 given by itself or together with the standard cancer treatments. The response to ASP2138 is measured using scans and blood tests. Safety checks will be done at each visit and the doctors will continue to check for all medical problems throughout the study. ASP2138 will be given either through a vein (intravenous infusion) or just below the skin (subcutaneous injection). Treatment will be in a 14-day cycle (2 weeks). In each treatment cycle, intravenous infusions or subcutaneous injections will either be given once a week or once every 2 weeks. People will continue to receive treatment until their cancer gets worse or the doctor decides to stop the person's treatment. People will visit the clinic on certain days during their treatment, with extra visits during the first 3 cycles of treatment. After treatment has finished, people will visit the clinic for a health check several times. The number of visits and checks done at each visit will depend on the health of each person and whether they completed their treatment or not.

This clinical trial is studying solid tumor cancers. A solid tumor is one that starts in part of your body like your lungs or liver instead of your blood. Once they've grown bigger in one spot or spread to other parts of the body, they're harder to treat. This is called advanced or metastatic cancer. Participants in this study must have breast cancer or gastric cancer. Participants must have tumors that have HER2 on them. This allows the cancer to grow more quickly or spread faster. There are few treatment options for patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors that express HER2. This clinical trial uses an experimental drug called disitamab vedotin (DV). Disitamab vedotin is a type of antibody drug conjugate or ADC. ADCs are designed to stick to cancer cells and kill them. This clinical trial uses a drug called tucatinib, which has been approved to treat cancer in the United States and some other countries. This drug is sold under the brand name TUKYSA®. This study will test how safe and how well DV, with or without tucatinib, is for participants with solid tumors. This study will also test what side effects happen when participants take these drugs. A side effect is anything a drug does to the body besides treating the disease.

This phase III trial compares the effect of modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (mFOLFIRINOX) to modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX) for the treatment of advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2 negative esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma. The usual approach for patients is treatment with FOLFOX chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Fluorouracil stops cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Leucovorin is used with fluorouracil to enhance the effects of the drug. Oxaliplatin works by killing, stopping, or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Some patients also receive an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, in addition to FOLFOX chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Irinotecan blocks certain enzymes needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill tumor cells. Adding irinotecan to the FOLFOX regimen could shrink the cancer and extend the life of patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancers.

This is a phase II clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of sequential systemic and intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy in patients with primary gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer with cytology positive peritoneal lavage and/or peritoneal carcinomatosis.

The dose escalation phase of this trial identifies the safety, side effects and best dose of ceralasertib (AZD6738) when given in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) in treating patients with solid tumors that have a change (mutation) in the HER2 gene or protein and have spread to other places in the body (advanced). The dose expansion phase (phase Ib) of this trial compares how colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers with HER2 mutation respond to treatment with a combination of ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan versus trastuzumab deruxtecan alone. Ceralasertib may stop the growth of tumor cells and may kill them by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan may be safe, tolerable and effective in treating patients with advanced solid tumors expressing the HER2 protein or gene.