E-News - February 2026
Spotlight on Clinical Trials


Alliance Researchers explore new approaches To Personalized, Innovative Cancer Care

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has recently launched several new clinical trials exploring targeted radiation therapy, improved treatment strategies and other innovative approaches to cancer care. From testing new drug combinations for rare and aggressive cancers to evaluating digital health tools that improve access to genetic services, these trials aim to improve outcomes, reduce side effects, and deliver more personalized care for patients at every stage of life.

Below is a selection of recently opened trials, led by Alliance investigators at cancer centers and community sites around the country, now recruiting participants.

Alliance A032304: Radioligand efficacy comparison by initial PSA-response outcome in metastatic CRPC with Lutetium 177Lu PSMA RLT (RECIPROCAL)

Thomas Hope, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and Deaglan McHugh, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, lead Alliance A032304, a randomized phase III clinical trial (also called RECIPROCAL) to explore whether doctors can optimize the timing of targeted radiation therapy to minimize side effects while preserving efficacy in men with advanced prostate cancer.

In the trial, clinicians will enroll about 1,500 participants. All participants will start by receiving two infusions of Lutetium-177 prostate ppecific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy (RLT), a targeted radiation therapy attached to a drug molecule and injected into the bloodstream every six weeks. During this time, if a patient’s prostate specific antigen (PSA) level falls, they will be randomized into one of two groups. One will receive up to four more PSMA RLT treatments every six weeks. The other group will have their PSA levels checked every three weeks, receiving additional treatment only if doctors see evidence of disease progression.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07200830

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Alliance A232402CD: PAGODA: Randomized trial of a proactive graduated dose modification algorithm for FOLFOX chemotherapy to prevent unplanned delays

Gabriel Brooks, MD, MPH, of Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, leads the Alliance A232402CD/PAGODA trial for people with gastrointestinal cancers. This trial will test PAGODA, the Proactive Graduated Dose Modification Algorithm. It is a structured plan that helps doctors make small, proactive changes to chemotherapy doses to prevent treatment delays. Instead of reacting after severe side effects occur, PAGODA guides doctors to act early, keeping patients on schedule and reducing stress and delays.

The trial plans to enroll about 400 patients with cancer of the esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, stomach, small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum, and cancers of unknown primary with suspected GI origin. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. People in the standard group will have doctors adjust chemotherapy doses as normal. Doctors of those in the PAGODA group will follow the algorithm to guide dose changes.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07283939

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Alliance A222302: Distance-based exercise to preserve function and prevent disability (DEFEND)

Jennifer Ligibel, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, co-lead Alliance A222302, a study to assess whether virtual exercise sessions, consisting of supervised resistance and aerobic exercise training, can successfully be delivered to patients during treatment. The study will also explore whether the exercise program can help patients maintain physical function, reduce fatigue and prevent disability during treatment, providing critical data to inform the design of a subsequent phase III trial powered to evaluate the impact of exercise on these outcomes. The study aims to enroll participants between the ages of 18 and 65 who are receiving chemotherapy with curative intent.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07059884

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Alliance A092204: Testing the addition of an anti-cancer drug, cabozantinib to the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab (REGN2810), in adolescents and adults with advanced adrenocortical cancer

Bhavana Konda, MD, MPH, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, leads Alliance A092204, a phase II trial to compare the effect of giving cabozantinib with or without cemiplimab in patients with adrenocortical cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced), and that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) or that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) or that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Cabozantinib is in a class of medications called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply, which may help keep cancer cells from growing. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cemiplimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cabozantinib with cemiplimab may kill more tumor cells in patients with locally advanced unresectable or recurrent/metastatic adrenocortical cancer.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06900595

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Alliance A032302: Docetaxel addition in metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer (ASPIRE)

Deepak Kilari, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, leads Alliance A032302, a phase III trial comparing the effect of adding docetaxel to hormonal therapy and apalutamide versus hormonal therapy and apalutamide alone in treating patients with prostate cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops tumor cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer, also called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), uses surgery or drugs to lower the levels of male sex hormones in a man's body. This helps slow the growth of prostate cancer. Apalutamide is in a class of medications called androgen receptor inhibitors. It works by blocking the effects of androgen (a male reproductive hormone) to stop the growth and spread of tumor cells. Giving docetaxel in addition to the usual treatment of hormonal therapy and apalutamide may work better in treating patients with metastatic prostate cancer than the usual treatment alone.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06931340

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Alliance A232301: AYA Access Study: An enhanced eHealth and chat-bot enabled delivery model for clinical genetic services in community AYA cancer patients

Angela Bradbury, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, and Tara Henderson, MD, PhD, of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, co-lead Alliance A232301, a phase III trial compares the use of a digital chatbot enabled intervention to standard remote genetic services for increasing uptake of genetic counseling and testing among adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Genetic testing for cancer predisposition syndromes has become standard evidence-based practice and can inform enhanced screening and risk reducing measures to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Despite this, many AYAs are not receiving recommended genetic counseling and testing. Offering remote telehealth services can address access barriers and chatbots and texting interventions could enhance patient outcomes and reduce provider and staff time. The use of a digital chatbot enabled intervention may be equally as effective as standard remote genetic services in AYA cancer patients undergoing genetic testing.

Read the news release | ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07091617

 

 

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