Can sound waves and a tiny dose of chemo train the body to fight breast cancer?
NCT ID NCT04796220
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This early-stage trial is testing whether focused ultrasound (sound waves aimed at tumors) combined with a low dose of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine can boost the immune system's ability to fight early breast cancer. About 32 participants will receive either ultrasound, low-dose gemcitabine, or both before surgery. The main goals are to check safety and see if the treatment reduces certain immune-suppressing cells and increases cancer-fighting T cells.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Gemcitabine (a chemotherapy drug)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to use focused ultrasound and low-dose chemo to help the immune system fight breast cancer more effectively before surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early (Phase 1) trial with only 32 participants, so it is mainly checking safety and immune effects, not yet proving it works. The combination may not improve outcomes or could cause side effects.
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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
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, United States
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