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MRI and microbes: a new way to predict rectal cancer outcomes?

NCT ID NCT06236321

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Aberdeen Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 31, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a novel MRI technique called Fast Field Cycling imaging and the bacteria in the mouth and bowel can predict how well rectal cancer responds to chemoradiotherapy given before surgery. Researchers will scan 15 patients three times and collect saliva and stool samples to compare with their actual treatment response. The goal is to find early clues that could help tailor treatment for each patient.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Fast Field Cycling MRI scan and saliva/faecal microbiota sampling
What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to a way to predict which rectal cancer patients will have a complete response to chemoradiotherapy, potentially guiding more personalized treatment decisions.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 15 participants, so the results may not apply broadly. The techniques are experimental, and there is no guarantee they will reliably predict treatment response.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

15 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2022

Finished

May 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must be aged 18 and above * Patients with locally invasive rectal adenocarcinoma cancer clinically requiring neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy * Participants who meet the safety criteria for undergoing an MRI scan. * Participants who can pass through a 50 cm-diameter circular hoop to ensure they will be able to fit inside the scanner * Participants must be able to give fully informed consent. * Participants must be mobile enough to be positioned onto the FFC scanner couch. * Patients willing to provide faecal and saliva samples on two occasions Exclusion Criteria: * MRI-incompatible conditions, as detected in the MRI safety screening sheet * Patients with early rectal cancers * Patients with squamous cell cancers * Patients with colon cancers * Patients presenting as an emergency with an obstructing rectal cancer * Patients who are treated with short course radiotherapy alone rather than long course chemoradiotherapy * Participants under 18 years old. * Participants who are unable to communicate in English. * Participants who are unable to give fully informed consent. * Women who are pregnant. * Restrictions to mobility that would prevent the correct positioning in the scanner. * Patients who suffer from claustrophobia.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

colorectal cancer colorectal neoplasm rectum adenocarcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Colorectal cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen, United Kingdom

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