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Esophageal CancerNCT07004634

Comparison of Drainage Methods in Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (DEMURE)

A study testing Chest mediastinal tube, Abdominal mediastinal tube and Chest tube + chest mediastinal tube in people with Esophageal Cancer and Drainage/Methods, run by Ruijin Hospital at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This RCT compares three drainage approaches after minimally invasive esophagectomy (chest tube + thoracic mediastinal drainage tube, thoracic, and abdominal mediastinal drainage tube) to evaluate perioperative outcomes, addressing current evidence gaps in pain and complication profiles. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Chest mediastinal tube, Abdominal mediastinal tube and Chest tube + chest mediastinal tube
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
75 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
30 Apr 2025to 1 Aug 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥18 years
  • Pathologically confirmed esophageal cancer requiring three-incision esophagectomy (cervical, thoracic, and abdominal incisions)
  • ASA physical status class I-III

Who cannot join

  • History of chronic pain or long-term use of analgesics prior to surgery
  • Severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction (e.g., FEV1 <50%)
  • Coagulation disorders or patients undergoing reoperation
  • Intraoperative findings of extensive pleural adhesions, combined resection of adjacent organs, or other conditions deemed by the investigator to warrant exclusion

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200025

    Dingpei Han, PhD, MD, 00862164370045 ext. 666112, dmhan1985@163.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Comparison of the Application Effects of Different Drainage Modes in the Perioperative Period of Minimally Invasive Three-Field Radical Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

This RCT compares three drainage approaches after minimally invasive esophagectomy (chest tube + thoracic mediastinal drainage tube, thoracic, and abdominal mediastinal drainage tube) to evaluate perioperative outcomes, addressing current evidence gaps in pain and complication profiles.

Being tested
Chest mediastinal tube, Abdominal mediastinal tube, Chest tube + chest mediastinal tube
Keywords
Esophageal cancer, Mediastinal drainage tube, Postoperative pain
Medical subject headings
Esophageal Neoplasms, Pain, Postoperative

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Chest mediastinal tubeProcedure or surgery

    Transthoracic mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.

  • Abdominal mediastinal tubeProcedure or surgery

    Transperitoneal mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.

  • Chest tube + chest mediastinal tubeProcedure or surgery

    Chest tube insertion combined with transthoracic mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.

Study groups in NCT07004634
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Abdominal mediastinal tubeExperimentalTransperitoneal mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.
Receives: Procedure: Abdominal mediastinal tube
Chest mediastinal tubeExperimentalTransthoracic mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.
Receives: Procedure: Chest mediastinal tube
Chest tube + chest mediastinal tubeExperimentalChest tube insertion combined with transthoracic mediastinal drainage was performed for postoperative management of the patient.
Receives: Procedure: Chest tube + chest mediastinal tube

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Postoperative Pain Scores

    Pain scores were assessed based on the visual analog scale according to the World Health Organization guidelines, in which 0 indicated no pain and 10 indicated the worst possible pain.

    We also recorded and evaluated maximum daily pain scores when pain caused by the mediastinal drainage tube incision.

    Measured: Pain scores were recorded at different times during the postoperative period when the patients were quiet and active (at 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM) from postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 4.

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Postoperative complications

    Postoperative complications included anastomotic leak, major pulmonary complications, and major abdominal complications. Pleural effusion was defined as a drainage volume of greater than 800 mL. Pneumothorax was defined by a distance of greater than 3 cm between the apex of the lung and the top of the ribcage on chest radiography.

    Measured: Postoperative complications from posoperative day 1 to postoperative month 3

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Jun 2025
  2. Study start30 Apr 2025
  3. Primary completion1 May 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
75 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07004634
Sponsor's protocol ID
RTS-026
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
5 May 2025
Last updated
10 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: De-identified baseline characteristics, outcomes, and adverse events.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Chest mediastinal tube, Abdominal mediastinal tube and Chest tube + chest mediastinal tube in people with Esophageal Cancer and Drainage/Methods, run by Ruijin Hospital at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Hecheng Li, PhD, MD (00862164370045 ext. 664566, lihecheng2000@hotmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Postoperative Pain Scores (time frame: Pain scores were recorded at different times during the postoperative period when the patients were quiet and active (at 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM) from postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 4.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Jun 2025.

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