Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and best dose of futibatinib with paclitaxel and ramucirumab for the treatment of patients with gastric, gastroesophageal junction or esophageal adenocarcinoma that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Futibatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Giving futibatinib with paclitaxel and ramucirumab may be safe and tolerable in treating patients with locally advanced or unresectable gastric, gastroesophageal junction or esophageal adenocarcinoma.

This phase II trial tests what effects the addition of propranolol to pembrolizumab and standard chemotherapy (mFOLFOX) may have on response to treatment in patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer that cannot be removed by surgery and has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (unresectable locally advanced) or has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Propranolol is a drug that is classified as a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins). Cancer patients may be under a tremendous amount of stress with elevated levels of norepinephrine (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress). Increased adrenergic stress may dampen the immune system, which beta-blockers, like propranolol, may be able to counteract. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in the standard chemotherapy regimen, mFOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin) work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Adding propranolol to pembrolizumab and standard mFOLFOX chemotherapy may increase the effectiveness of the pembrolizumab + mFOLFOX regimen.