Which pain block works best for cancer surgery?

NCT ID NCT06519708

Symptom relief Sponsor: National Cancer Institute, Egypt Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested two types of nerve blocks to manage pain after cancer surgery on the upper belly. 70 adults received either an erector spinae plane block or an external oblique intercostal plane block with the same numbing medicine. Researchers measured how much extra morphine patients needed in the first 24 hours.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: bupivacaine
What this could lead to: If one block works better, it could reduce the need for strong painkillers like morphine after surgery.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed study with 70 people. Results may not apply to everyone, and individual pain responses vary.

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

70 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2024

Finished

Jan 2026

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 to 65 years

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: * Age (18-65) Years. * Both sexes. * Body mass index (BMI): (20-40) kg/m2. * American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status II, III. * Type of surgery; unilateral subcostal incision in hepatectomy and nephrectomy. Exclusion Criteria: * Patient refusal. * Subcostal incisions that are crossing the midline or midline incision. * Age \<18 years or \>65 years * BMI \<20 kg/m2 and \>40 kg/m2 * Known sensitivity or contraindication to drugs used in the study * Contraindication to regional anesthesia e.g. local infection at the site of introduction, pre-existing peripheral neuropathies, and coagulopathy. * Pregnancy. * Physical status ASA IV * patients on chronic analgesic therapy (daily morphine ≥30 mg or equivalent dose of other opioids or tramadol or any medication for neuropathic pain) * patients with a history of drug abuse * patients with neuropsychiatric diseases; patients with a history of chronic pain syndromes that may enhance sensitivity to pain, for example, fibromyalgia * All patients who are going to have severe intra- or post-operative bleeding or will require postoperative mechanical ventilation are also excluded from the study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

agnosia pain agnosia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Analgesia Erector spinae plane block External oblique intercostal plane block Subcostal cancer surgeries

Which pain block works best for cancer surgery?

What the study statuses mean