New hope for bile duct cancer: triple therapy shows promise after chemo fails
NCT ID NCT04834674
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Phase 2 trial tested a combination of three treatments—local chemotherapy delivered via beads into the liver, a targeted drug called apatinib, and an immunotherapy (PD-1 antibody)—in 20 patients with advanced bile duct cancer that had worsened after standard first-line chemotherapy. The goal was to see if this approach could shrink tumors and delay progression. The study is completed, and results will show whether this combination is safe and effective enough to become a new second-line option.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- combination of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE), apatinib, and a PD-1 antibody
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new second-line treatment option for patients with advanced bile duct cancer who have run out of standard options.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small Phase 2 trial with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The combination therapy also carries risks like liver damage, bleeding, and immune-related side effects.
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 APATINIB 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
-
Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Research Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can sound waves supercharge immunotherapy against bile duct cancer?
- Can blood tests reveal how liver and bile duct cancers respond to treatment?
- Can a pill target Hard-to-Treat bile duct cancers? a new drug puts FGFR2 mutations to the test
- Can matching drugs to tumor genes beat biliary cancer?
- Can freezing tumors boost immunotherapy in hard-to-treat bile duct cancers?
- Triple attack on bile duct cancer: chemo, targeted drug, and immunotherapy aim to make the inoperable operable