Can a simple supplement tame inflammation before cancer surgery?
NCT ID NCT07675421
First seen Jun 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a dietary supplement called HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) can lower inflammation and improve recovery in people with head and neck cancer who are about to have surgery. Participants take either HMB or a placebo daily for 30 days before their operation. Researchers measure inflammatory markers in the blood and track muscle strength and postoperative outcomes to see if HMB makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)
- What this could lead to
- If HMB reduces inflammation and improves muscle strength before surgery, it could help head and neck cancer patients recover better after tumor removal.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 66 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. HMB is a supplement and may not produce significant clinical benefits.
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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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
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About 66 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2027
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: * Individuals aged 18 years or older; * Both sexes (male and female); * Patients treated at the outpatient clinic for head and neck carcinoma; * Indication for potentially curative tumor resection surgery. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of cancer of the face, skin, paranasal sinuses, or thyroid; * Undergoing neoadjuvant or palliative treatment; * Cognitive or intellectual impairment that may hinder proper understanding of the study; * Refusal to participate or to sign the informed consent form.
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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
1 site. 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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School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais
RECRUITINGBelo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
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