Radioactive microspheres show promise in early liver cancer trial
NCT ID NCT06310590
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This completed Phase 1 trial tested a new injection called NRT6003, which contains tiny radioactive beads (yttrium-90), in 40 people with liver cancer that could not be removed by surgery. The goal was to see if the treatment is safe and whether it can shrink tumors in the liver. Researchers measured side effects and how long it took for the cancer to progress.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Yttrium-90 carbon microspheres (NRT6003 injection)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new radiation treatment option for people with liver cancer that cannot be surgically removed.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase (Phase 1) trial with only 40 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment involves radiation and could cause side effects like liver damage or other adverse events.
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
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2023
- Finished
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Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
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 to 80 years
- 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: 1. Aged 18 to 80 and signed informed consent; 2. Diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma clinically, by imaging and/or pathology based on the guideline of the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (2022); 3. Evaluated by the investigator as not suitable for surgical resection/ablation, or there are other reasons unsuitable for surgical resection/ablation, or the participant refuses surgical resection/ablation; 4. At least one well defined tumor (mRECIST), assessed by enhanced MRI or CT images; 5. Child-Pugh score ≤ 7; 6. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤ 1; 7. Tumor burden ≤ 50 percent of the total liver volume; 8. Adequate organ function: (1) Blood routine \[no blood transfusion or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment within 14 days\]: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L; platelet (PLT) ≥ 80 × 10\^9/L; hemoglobin (HGB) ≥ 90 g/L; (2) Liver function: total bilirubin (TBIL) ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN); alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 5. 0×ULN; Albumin \> 30 g/L; (3) Renal function: Creatinine (Cr) ≤ 1.5×ULN; creatinine clearance rate (CCr)≥ 50 mL/min (calculated according to Cockcroft-Gault formula); (4) Coagulation function: international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) ≤1.5×ULN \[If any participant takes warfarin or heparin for anticoagulation therapy, the investigator should evaluate whether the participant meet the requirements of the protocol\]; (5) Cardiovascular function: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50 percent assessed by ultrasonic cardiogram; 9. Women and men of childbearing age must agree to take strict and effective contraceptive measures during the study period and within 6 months after the end of the trial. Men are forbidden to donate sperm. The pregnancy test results of female participants of childbearing age during the screening period and within 24 hours before administration must be negative. Exclusion Criteria: 1. With the extrahepatic metastasis or concurrent malignant tumors other than liver cancer; 2. With the hepatic tumor thrombus (excluding the thrombus limited to liver segments or lobes); 3. With hepatic artery malformation and unable to intubate hepatic artery; 4. Allergy to contrast agents or anesthetics; 5. Severe pulmonary dysfunction (forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV1/FVC \< 50 percent or forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) \< 50 percent of predicted value, or maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) \< 50 L/min); 6. With the clinical manifestations of decompensated liver cirrhosis (moderate or severe ascites, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, etc.); 7. With diseases have not been controlled despite aggressive treatment, and which may affect the safety or the efficacy of the investigational drug in the judgement of investigators; 8. Active or severely infected participants requiring systemic therapy; 9. With positive results of HIV antibody test; 10. Estimated survival period \< 3 months; 11. Have received radiotherapy or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (participants who have received transcatheter arterial non-iodized oil chemoembolization are judged by investigators); 12. Technetium (99mTc)-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) hepatic arterial perfusion imaging estimates that the NRT6003 injection cannot cover all lesions within the liver (excluding lesions previously treated by the investigator as non-active or non-progressive); 13. Hepatic artery angiography and 99mTc-MAA hepatic artery perfusion imaging demonstrate gastrointestinal shunts, which may not be remedied through vascular intervention techniques; 14. 99mTc-MAA arterial perfusion imaging shows that the single lung radiation absorbed dose \> 30 Gy; 15. Received antitumor therapy or participated in other interventional clinical trials within 30 days prior to dosing; 16. Pregnant or lactating women; 17. Have persistent, unrelieved toxicity reaction of CTCAE≥2 grade caused by previous antitumor treatment (excluding alopecia) judged by investigators; 18. Any other reason that the investigator deems the participant unsuitable for participating in this 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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Anhui Provincial Hospital
Hefei, Anhui, China
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Henan Cancer Hospital
Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Hunan Provincial People's Hospital
Changsha, Hunan, China
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The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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West China Hospital, Sichuan University
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Zhejiang Cancer Hospital
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
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Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University
Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China
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Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
Shanghai, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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