XELOX Plus DoSTARlimab Versus XELOX Alone as Consolidation Treatment After Standard Chemoradiation in pMMR/MSS or MSI-Low Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC) Patients

This is a phase II, multicenter, randomized (2:1) controlled, clinical trial to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of consolidation chemotherapy (XELOX) plus anti-PD-1 antibody (dostarlimab) after standard long-course CRT followed by adjuvant dostarlimab versus follow-up (ARM A) compared to XELOX alone as consolidation (ARM B) in patients with pMMR/MSS or MSI-Low LARC (cT3-4 cN0, any cT cN+) candidate to receive standard long course CRT followed by TME.

Subsequent randomization into a ratio 1:1 will be performed after surgery, only for patients randomized in ARM A, to receive adjuvant dostarlimab for a maximum of 8 cycles (ARM A1) versus only follow-up (ARM A2), and in ARM B only follow-up (Figure 1).

If clinical complete responses (cCR) are documented after restaging, the patient may choose not to proceed with surgery and pursue nonoperative management (NOM) (Figure 1).

The patients before randomization will be stratified as follows:

* cT4 or \< cT4 stage; * positive or negative lymph nodes.