Should cancer patients get antibiotics for a dubious c. diff test? small trial seeks answers
NCT ID NCT03030248
First seen Apr 28, 2026 · Last updated Jun 24, 2026 · Updated 13 times
Summary
This study looked at whether giving the antibiotic vancomycin helps cancer patients who have diarrhea and a positive screening test for C. difficile but a negative toxin test. Only 9 patients were enrolled, far fewer than planned. Researchers measured changes in C. difficile levels in stool and other gut bacteria over 90 days. The results are too limited to draw firm conclusions.
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
vancomycin oral capsules
What this could lead to
If it works, this could help doctors decide whether to treat certain C. diff infections in cancer patients with antibiotics, reducing unnecessary use.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-phase study with only 9 participants, so results may not be reliable or apply to broader populations. The infection type studied is controversial and may not need treatment at all.
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.