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 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, and ramucirumab and paclitaxel are standard treatments for gastric and GEJ cancer. mFOLFIRINOX is a standard treatment for pancreatic cancer. This information will help 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. The main aims of the study are: - To check the safety of ASP2138 and how well people can tolerate medical problems during the study. - To find a suitable dose of ASP2138 to be used later in the study. - These are done for ASP2138 given by itself and when given together with the standard cancer 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. There should also be the CLDN18.2 marker in a tumor sample. People cannot take part if they need to take medicines to suppress their immune system, have blockages or bleeding in their gut, have specific uncontrollable cancers, have specific infections, have a condition such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) which is when the body over-reacts to a "trigger" such as infection, or have a specific heart condition ("New York Heart Association Class III or IV"). Phase 1: Lower to higher doses of ASP2138 - ASP2138 is either given through a vein (intravenous infusion) or just under the skin (subcutaneous injection). - Different small groups are given lower to higher doses of ASAP2138. - ASP2138 is either given by itself, or given with 1 of 3 standard treatments: - Pembrolizumab and mFOLFOX6 (first treatment for gastric GEJ cancer) - Ramacirumab and paclitaxel (Second treatment for gastric or GEJ cancer) - ASP2138 with mFOLFIRINOX (first treatment for pancreatic cancer) Phase 1b: doses of ASP2138 worked out from Phase 1 - ASP2138 is either given through a vein or just under the skin. This depends on the findings from Phase 1. - People with gastric cancer, GEJ cancer or pancreatic cancer are given doses of ASP2138, worked out from Phase 1. - This includes doses of ASP2138 given by itself and ASP2138 given with the standard cancer treatments. - The standard cancer treatments given depends on the type of cancer they have. End of treatment visit: This is 7 days after final dose of study treatment or if the study doctor decides to stop the person's treatment. People who have locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer will not receive ASP2138 by itself.

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 tucatinib works 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.