New trial aims to cut opioid use in pancreatic cancer with early nerve block
NCT ID NCT06160323
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving a nerve block early, rather than waiting, can better control pain in people with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The procedure uses an endoscope to inject numbing medication near nerves that carry pain signals. Researchers will compare pain scores and opioid use between the early nerve block group and those who follow standard step-up pain management.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- EUS-guided celiac ganglion neurolysis (nerve block procedure)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a more effective way to control severe pain in pancreatic cancer patients, reducing reliance on strong opioids and their side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial (94 people) and the procedure carries risks like bleeding or nerve damage. It may not prove better than standard care, and results may not apply to all patients.
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 94 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
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: 1. Age \>= 18 years old 2. Diagnosed to have inoperable pancreatic cancer 3. Presence of tumor pain (centrally located, constant, with no other obvious cause) with a VAS \>= 3 4. Karnofsky performance status \>= 60 5. Planned for EUS examination and/or biopsy of the pancreatic tumor Exclusion Criteria: 1. Allergy to bupivacaine, or alcohol 2. Potentially operable after neoadjuvant therapy 3. Expected survival of less than 3 months 4. Patient who is already on opioids for pain control 5. Previous percutaneous or EUS-guided CGN/ CPN 6. Recurrent pancreatic tumors after operation 7. Uncorrectable coagulopathy 8. Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent
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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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Prince of Wales Hospital
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong, 00000, Hong Kong
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Radioactive injection takes on tough pancreatic cancer in early trial