New painkiller may replace opioids in liver cancer procedure

NCT ID NCT07034950

Ongoing Symptom relief Sponsor: The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tests esketamine, a drug related to ketamine, to control pain during a procedure that destroys liver tumors with heat. The goal is to find the right dose that works without needing opioids, which can cause breathing problems. 79 adults with liver cancer will receive esketamine during the procedure, and researchers will monitor their pain and breathing safety.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: esketamine
What this could lead to: If successful, this could provide a safer, opioid-free way to manage pain during liver tumor ablation, reducing breathing complications.
What could go wrong: This is an early-phase dose-finding study with only 79 participants. The results may not apply to all patients, and esketamine itself can cause side effects like dizziness or nausea.

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 HEPATIC CANCER are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

carcinoma of liver and intrahepatic biliary tract liver and intrahepatic bile duct neoplasm liver cancer Liver Neoplasms Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

HEPATIC CANCER HEPATIC NEOPLASM

Contacts and locations

Locations

Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, China

Xiamen, Fujian, 361000, China

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.