Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell CarcinomaNCT07776483
Personalized ctDNA Monitoring for Predicting Immunotherapy Outcomes in Advanced Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
An observational study of Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, run by West China Hospital.
Trial summary
This is a prospective, non-interventional observational cohort study evaluating the clinical utility of patient-specific circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in patients with advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
- What is being tested?
- Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA Monitoring
- How many people
- 67 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2026to 30 Dec 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 14 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patients with histologically confirmed advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, who are scheduled to initiate immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice. Eligible histological subtypes include papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma, FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, collecting duct carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, and other rare non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes.
Who may be able to join
- Participants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Age 14 years or older, with no restriction based on sex.
- Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma classified as non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical or molecular testing may be used when necessary to establish the histological subtype. Eligible subtypes include papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma, FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, collecting duct carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, and other rare non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes.
- Unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with at least one measurable lesion according to RECIST version 1.1.
- Scheduled, according to routine clinical care, to initiate immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy, including an immune checkpoint inhibitor combined with targeted therapy, dual immune checkpoint blockade, or immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. The number of previous lines of systemic therapy is not restricted, provided that prior treatment history, specific regimens, and best responses can be adequately documented.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2 and an estimated life expectancy greater than 3 months.
- Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent and comply with protocol-specified sample collection, examinations, and follow-up.
Who cannot join
- Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded:
- The planned systemic treatment does not contain an immune checkpoint inhibitor and consists only of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or another non-immunotherapy systemic treatment.
- Untreated, symptomatic, or clinically unstable central nervous system metastases or leptomeningeal metastases.
- Another active malignancy of a different primary site or histological type within the previous 3 years, except adequately controlled malignancies such as papillary thyroid carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or cervical carcinoma in situ.
- Major surgery or severe trauma within 4 weeks before enrollment without adequate recovery.
- Uncontrolled severe infection or another serious comorbidity, including active tuberculosis, active hepatitis B or C, severe cardiac insufficiency, persistent symptomatic arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension, or serious cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events such as myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or cerebrovascular accident within 6 months before enrollment.
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- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Severe psychiatric, cognitive, or behavioral impairment that prevents understanding of the study, provision of required samples, or completion of protocol-specified examinations and follow-up.
- Failure to establish a patient-specific ctDNA monitoring panel because of inadequate tumor tissue quantity or quality, inability to identify suitable patient-specific somatic variants, or other technical reasons.
- Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may increase the risks associated with study participation, interfere with interpretation of the study results, or compromise protocol compliance.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Patient-Specific Circulating Tumor DNA Monitoring for Prediction of Immunotherapy Response and Prognostic Stratification in Advanced Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study
This is a prospective, non-interventional observational cohort study evaluating the clinical utility of patient-specific circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in patients with advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy. Tumor-informed personalized ctDNA assays will be developed based on tumor tissue and matched normal blood samples, and ctDNA will be longitudinally assessed at predefined time points during treatment. The primary objectives are to evaluate the associations of baseline ctDNA status with progression-free survival and objective response rate. Secondary and exploratory analyses will assess overall survival, disease control, duration of response, longitudinal ctDNA dynamics, radiographic tumor burden, and molecular progression.
Read the detailed description
Patients with unresectable or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma who are scheduled to receive immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice will be prospectively enrolled. Treatment regimens may include immune checkpoint inhibitor plus targeted therapy, dual immune checkpoint blockade, or immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. Treatment selection will not be determined by this study.
For each participant, tumor tissue and matched normal peripheral blood will be analyzed to identify patient-specific somatic variants and establish a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Peripheral blood for longitudinal ctDNA monitoring will be collected before treatment, during early treatment, at the first radiographic assessment, during subsequent radiographic evaluations when feasible, and at disease progression or treatment discontinuation.
The primary analyses will compare progression-free survival and objective response rate between patients with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. Secondary analyses will evaluate overall survival, disease control rate, and duration of response. Exploratory analyses will characterize longitudinal ctDNA patterns, including persistently negative, positive-to-negative, persistently positive, and negative-to-positive patterns, and investigate their associations with clinical outcomes, radiographic tumor burden, and the timing of disease progression.
Research ctDNA results will be used for scientific analysis and supportive clinical assessment and will not serve as the primary basis for treatment decisions.
- Conditions
- Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Being tested
- Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA Monitoring
- Keywords
- Circulating Tumor DNA, Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor, Personalized ctDNA Monitoring, Liquid Biopsy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA MonitoringDiagnostic test
Tumor tissue and matched normal blood will undergo genomic analysis to identify patient-specific somatic variants for development of a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Longitudinal plasma samples will subsequently be analyzed for ctDNA during systemic therapy. The assay is used for research monitoring and does not determine treatment selection.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced nccRCC Cohort | Patients with unresectable or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma who are initiating immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice. Participants will undergo longitudinal patient-specific tumor-informed ctDNA monitoring and will subsequently be classified according to baseline ctDNA status and longitudinal ctDNA dynamics for outcome analyses. Receives: Diagnostic Test: Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA Monitoring |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Progression-Free Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Progression-free survival (PFS) will be defined as the time from initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy to radiographic disease progression according to RECIST version 1.1 or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. PFS will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. The primary effect estimate will be the hazard ratio with its 95% confidence interval.
Measured: From treatment initiation until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
Objective Response Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Objective response rate (ORR) will be defined as the proportion of participants achieving a best overall response of complete response or partial response according to RECIST version 1.1. ORR will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA.
Measured: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed approximately every 8-12 weeks through December 2028
Secondary outcomes (3)
Overall Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Overall survival will be defined as the time from initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy to death from any cause and will be compared according to baseline ctDNA status.
Measured: From treatment initiation until death from any cause, assessed through December 2028
Disease Control Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Disease control rate will be defined as the proportion of participants achieving complete response, partial response, or stable disease as the best overall response according to RECIST version 1.1 and will be compared according to baseline ctDNA status.
Measured: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed through December 2028
Duration of Response According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Among participants achieving complete or partial response, duration of response will be defined as the time from the first documented objective response until radiographic disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Measured: From first documented response until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Aug 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell CarcinomaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by West China HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 67 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- West China Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hao Zeng, West China Hospital
- Investigators
- Hao Zeng, Doctor, Principal investigator, West China Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07776483
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- WCH-nccRCC-ctDNA
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: There is a plan to make IPD and related data dictionaries available.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Patient-Specific Circulating Tumor DNA Monitoring for Prediction of Immunotherapy Response and Prognostic Stratification in Advanced Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07776483
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- WCH-nccRCC-ctDNA
- Conditions
- Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Keywords
- Circulating Tumor DNA, Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor, Personalized ctDNA Monitoring, Liquid Biopsy
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 67 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- West China HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 20 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a prospective, non-interventional observational cohort study evaluating the clinical utility of patient-specific circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in patients with advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy. Tumor-informed personalized ctDNA assays will be developed based on tumor tissue and matched normal blood samples, and ctDNA will be longitudinally assessed at predefined time points during treatment. The primary objectives are to evaluate the associations of baseline ctDNA status with progression-free survival and objective response rate. Secondary and exploratory analyses will assess overall survival, disease control, duration of response, longitudinal ctDNA dynamics, radiographic tumor burden, and molecular progression.
Detailed description
Patients with unresectable or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma who are scheduled to receive immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice will be prospectively enrolled. Treatment regimens may include immune checkpoint inhibitor plus targeted therapy, dual immune checkpoint blockade, or immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. Treatment selection will not be determined by this study.
For each participant, tumor tissue and matched normal peripheral blood will be analyzed to identify patient-specific somatic variants and establish a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Peripheral blood for longitudinal ctDNA monitoring will be collected before treatment, during early treatment, at the first radiographic assessment, during subsequent radiographic evaluations when feasible, and at disease progression or treatment discontinuation.
The primary analyses will compare progression-free survival and objective response rate between patients with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. Secondary analyses will evaluate overall survival, disease control rate, and duration of response. Exploratory analyses will characterize longitudinal ctDNA patterns, including persistently negative, positive-to-negative, persistently positive, and negative-to-positive patterns, and investigate their associations with clinical outcomes, radiographic tumor burden, and the timing of disease progression.
Research ctDNA results will be used for scientific analysis and supportive clinical assessment and will not serve as the primary basis for treatment decisions.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced nccRCC Cohort | – | Diagnostic Test: Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA MonitoringPatients with unresectable or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma who are initiating immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice. Participants will undergo longitudinal patient-specific tumor-informed ctDNA monitoring and will subsequently be classified according to baseline ctDNA status and longitudinal ctDNA dynamics for outcome analyses. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients with histologically confirmed advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, who are scheduled to initiate immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice. Eligible histological subtypes include papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma, FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, collecting duct carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, and other rare non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes.
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Age 14 years or older, with no restriction based on sex.
- Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma classified as non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical or molecular testing may be used when necessary to establish the histological subtype. Eligible subtypes include papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma, FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, collecting duct carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, and other rare non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes.
- Unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with at least one measurable lesion according to RECIST version 1.1.
- Scheduled, according to routine clinical care, to initiate immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy, including an immune checkpoint inhibitor combined with targeted therapy, dual immune checkpoint blockade, or immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. The number of previous lines of systemic therapy is not restricted, provided that prior treatment history, specific regimens, and best responses can be adequately documented.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2 and an estimated life expectancy greater than 3 months.
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- The planned systemic treatment does not contain an immune checkpoint inhibitor and consists only of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or another non-immunotherapy systemic treatment.
- Untreated, symptomatic, or clinically unstable central nervous system metastases or leptomeningeal metastases.
- Another active malignancy of a different primary site or histological type within the previous 3 years, except adequately controlled malignancies such as papillary thyroid carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or cervical carcinoma in situ.
- Major surgery or severe trauma within 4 weeks before enrollment without adequate recovery.
- Uncontrolled severe infection or another serious comorbidity, including active tuberculosis, active hepatitis B or C, severe cardiac insufficiency, persistent symptomatic arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension, or serious cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events such as myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or cerebrovascular accident within 6 months before enrollment.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Patient-Specific Tumor-Informed ctDNA MonitoringTumor tissue and matched normal blood will undergo genomic analysis to identify patient-specific somatic variants for development of a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Longitudinal plasma samples will subsequently be analyzed for ctDNA during systemic therapy. The assay is used for research monitoring and does not determine treatment selection. | Diagnostic test | Advanced nccRCC Cohort |
Primary outcome
Progression-Free Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Time frame: From treatment initiation until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
Progression-free survival (PFS) will be defined as the time from initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy to radiographic disease progression according to RECIST version 1.1 or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. PFS will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. The primary effect estimate will be the hazard ratio with its 95% confidence interval.
Objective Response Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Time frame: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed approximately every 8-12 weeks through December 2028
Objective response rate (ORR) will be defined as the proportion of participants achieving a best overall response of complete response or partial response according to RECIST version 1.1. ORR will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA.
3 secondary outcomes
Overall Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Time frame: From treatment initiation until death from any cause, assessed through December 2028
Disease Control Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Time frame: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed through December 2028
Duration of Response According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Time frame: From first documented response until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. There is a plan to make IPD and related data dictionaries available.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Hao Zeng, Doctor principal investigator
West China Hospital
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, run by West China Hospital.
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 7 inclusion and 10 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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 Hao Zeng, MD, PhD (+86-18980602129, kucaizeng@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Progression-Free Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status (time frame: From treatment initiation until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 20 Aug 2026.