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Painkiller showdown: can cancer patients ditch paracetamol while on opioids?

NCT ID NCT05088876

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at whether cancer patients already taking strong opioids (like morphine) still need paracetamol for pain control. Researchers planned to have 7 participants stop their regular paracetamol in a blinded way, but the trial was terminated early. The goal was to see if pain levels stayed the same without paracetamol.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Paracetamol
What this could lead to
If successful, it could show that paracetamol is unnecessary for some cancer patients already on strong opioids, simplifying their medication.
What could go wrong
The trial was terminated early with only 7 participants, so results are very limited and not reliable. It 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

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

7 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2024

Finished

Mar 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 years and older

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: * Male and female patients receiving a WHO step III opioid (i.e. morphine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, hydromorphone, or buprenorphine) in combination with paracetamol (minimum dose 1.5 g/day) * Age ≥ 18 at screening * Ability to understand the study procedures and to provide written informed consent * Stable analgesia before randomisation, defined as no required changes in the analgesic treatment during the previous 7 days Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in another interventional trial within 30 days prior to randomisation, with the exception of cancer treatment trials * Changes of the dosage or start of other (co-)analgesics (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), dipyrone), within the last 7 days preceding randomisation * Surgery within the 14 days preceding randomisation or surgery planned within the duration of the study * Any circumstances, comorbidities or conditions, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may affect full participation in the study or compliance with the study protocol

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Inselspital, Bern University Hospital

    Bern, Switzerland

  • Kantonsspital Baden

    Baden, Switzerland

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.