Could poop pills help fight breast cancer? new trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07292142
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-stage trial tests whether fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) from healthy donors can safely be added to standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer. About 125 patients will take part, first in an observation phase and then in a treatment phase. The goal is to see if changing the gut bacteria can help more tumors respond fully to treatment before surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to make standard breast cancer treatment more effective for patients whose tumors don't fully respond.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small pilot study (Phase 1/2) focused on safety and feasibility, not yet on effectiveness. The approach may not improve outcomes and could cause side effects from the transplant.
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
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 125 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: PHASE 1 * Patients must be 18 years old or older. * Patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of TNBC (defined as estrogen receptor expression 0-10%, progesterone receptor expression 0-10%, and HER-2/neu negative (immunohistochemistry 0, 1+, or 2+ and fluorescent in-situ hybridization negative for HER-2 gene amplification) and are about to start neoadjuvant chemotherapy. * Patients with ECOG performance of 0-2. * Patients who are willing to provide serial stool and blood samples. * Patients must be able to provide written informed consent * Patients with available primary tumor biopsy tissue for molecular analysis PHASE 2 * Patients must be 18 years old or older. * Patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of TNBC (defined as estrogen receptor expression 0-10%, progesterone receptor expression 0-10%, and HER-2/neu negative (immunohistochemistry 0, 1+, or 2+ and fluorescent in-situ hybridization negative for HER-2 gene amplification) and are about to start neoadjuvant chemotherapy-immunotherapy. * Patients with ECOG performance of 0-2. * Patients must be able to provide written informed consent and understand the infectious risks associated with FMT administration. * Ability to ingest capsules. * Patients receiving systemic steroids at physiologic doses are permitted to enroll assuming steroid dose is not above the acceptable threshold (\>10 mg prednisone daily or equivalent). Exclusion Criteria: PHASE 1 * Clinical or radiological evidence of metastatic disease. * Known infection with HIV or hepatitis. * Pregnant woman. PHASE 2 * Previous anti-PD-1 treatment. * Patient with a secondary malignancy. * Pregnant or breastfeeding or expecting to conceive children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment. * Current exposure to high-dose oral or intravenous corticosteroids (\>10 mg of prednisone daily or equivalent). Patients who require intermittent use of bronchodilators or local steroid injections are not excluded from the study. * Absolute neutrophil count \<1.0 within 48 hours of planned FMT administration * Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency (for example, HIV or transplantation) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy before trial treatment. * Ongoing use of antibiotics or previous use of antibiotics one week before the FMT procedure. * Probiotic supplements and food products labeled as containing probiotics must be discontinued a minimum of 24 hours before FMT administration and are not permitted during the course of neoadjuvant immunotherapy treatment. * Presence of a chronic intestinal disease (for example, celiac, malabsorption, and colonic tumor). * Presence of absolute contraindications to FMT administration, including toxic megacolon, severe dietary allergies (for example, shellfish, nuts, or seafood), and inflammatory bowel disease. * Expected to require any other form of systemic or localized anti-neoplastic therapy other than those proposed by the study while on study. * Has an active autoimmune disease or a documented history of autoimmune disease or syndrome that requires systemic steroids or immunosuppressive agents. Patients with vitiligo, type I diabetes, or resolved childhood asthma/atopy are exceptions to this rule. * A history of recent (\<30 days) (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis. * Has serious concomitant illnesses, such as uncontrolled cardiovascular disease (congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, active evidence of cardiac ischemia, myocardial infarction, and severe cardiac arrhythmia), autoimmune diseases, severe obstructive or restrictive pulmonary diseases, active systemic infections, and inflammatory bowel disorders. This includes HIV or AIDS-related illness or active hepatitis B or C virus. * Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy. * Patient has received a live vaccine within 4 weeks before the first dose of treatment. Note that seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally inactivated flu vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (for example, FluMist) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed. * Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Jewish General Hospital
Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
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London Health Sciences Center
London, Ontario, Canada
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The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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