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NCT06923475RecruitingPhase 2/3

Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Combination With Perioperative Pembrolizumab Versus Upfront Surgery for Patients With Primary Resectable and Borderline Resectable Perihilar and Distal Cholangiocarcinoma

Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Combination With Perioperative Pembrolizumab Versus Upfront Surgery for Patients With Primary Resectable and Borderline Resectable Perihilar and Distal Cholangiocarcinoma (NEODISCO): A Multicentre Phase 2B/3 Randomized Controlled Trial

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 25 Aug 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) is a rare and aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. ECCA can be further subcategorised in perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA and dCCA). Surgical resection is the only potential cure, but only one-third of patients are eligible. Even among those deemed resectable, a significant portion (≈30%) experience disease progression before surgery, while another 30% are found unresectable during exploration. High recurrence rates and postoperative complications further limit survival, with 5-year overall survival ranging from 13% (R1 resection) to 40% (R0 resection). Given the long preoperative work-up period and lack of treatment during this phase, a neoadjuvant approach may improve outcomes by increasing R0 resections, reducing recurrence, and optimizing patient selection. This multicenter, randomized phase 2B/3 trial aims to assess whether neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin plus perioperative pembrolizumab improves event-free survival in patients with resectable and borderline resectable pCCA and dCCA.

Status (registry)
Recruiting
Phase (registry)
Phase 2/3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
150 (estimated)
First submitted
25 Feb 2025
Start date
17 Apr 2026
Primary completion date
6 Nov 2028
Lead sponsor
Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
NCT number
NCT06923475

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Phase 2/3
  • Planned participants: 150
  • From 17 Apr 2026 to the primary completion date, 6 Nov 2028
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Upfront "clearly" unresectable pCCA: circumferential unreconstructable vascular involvement of the FLR and/or insufficient FLR for potential radical resection. Insufficient FLR is defined as \<30% residual volume or a function \<2.7 min/m2. Patients considered borderline resectable but, by the discretion of the MDT, not a candidate for upfront exploration/resection, are considered ineligible for NEODISCO.
  • PCCA eligible for liver transplantation.
  • Local recurrence following prior resection of eCCA (patients who develop local recurrence during the study are however not excluded).
  • Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (eg, CTLA-4, OX-40, CD137).

Other illness

  • Cancer suspicious for ampullary carcinoma (for instance involvement of papilla during endoscopy).
  • Patients with underlying liver diseases: PSC, untreated hepatitis, cirrhosis child-Pugh B, C.
  • Previous malignancy unless no evidence of disease, or diagnosed more than 3 years before diagnosis of eCCA, or with a life expectancy of more than 5 years from date of inclusion.

Other

  • Upfront clearly unresectable dCCA (following DPCG criteria).
  • Patients with proven N2 lymph nodes (according to the AJCC 8th edition).
  • Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with hilar involvement.

Who the study is looking for

  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed resectable or borderline resectable pCCA and dCCA. These are all the patients considered candidates for upfront surgical exploration, with intent to resect, as confirmed by local MDT and the study expert panel also taking into consideration endoscopic and radiological findings. In cases where drainage is not required, patients with a disease highly suspicious for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, as determined by the expert MDT, may be included without histological proof to prevent unnecessary post-ERCP complications.
  • Successful drainage, in case of clinical significant bile duct obstruction.
  • MidCCA inclusion in the NEODISCO-trial will be permitted and will be included according to the proposed type of resection.
  • Male/female participants who are at least 18 years of age on the day of signing informed consent.
  • Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1. Evaluation of ECOG is to be performed within 7 days prior to the first dose of study intervention.

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Amsterdam University Medical Center
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
AmsterdamNetherlandsRecruiting

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.