Old gout drug tested as new hope for advanced liver cancer
NCT ID NCT04264260
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial tested colchicine, a drug usually used for gout, in 42 people with advanced liver cancer that could not be treated with curative intent. Participants took colchicine tablets daily in cycles of 4 days on, 3 days off. The study measured how long patients survived and tracked side effects. Results were compared to similar patients from past records, not a placebo group.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Colchicine tablets
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new palliative option to help people with advanced liver cancer live longer and manage symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 42 participants and no randomized control group. Colchicine may cause side effects and might not improve survival.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA, INTRAHEPATIC are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Supercharged immune cells take on bile duct cancer in early trial
- Liver transplant hope for bile duct cancer patients
- New blood test could spare bile duct cancer patients unnecessary surgery
- Blood tests and patient surveys could improve bile duct cancer monitoring
- New registry aims to improve bile duct stone removal