New ultrasound technique aims to avoid needless surgeries in bile duct cancer
NCT ID NCT07161869
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at whether an improved endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can better find cancer in lymph nodes of people with bile duct cancer. About 250 patients with presumed resectable cancer will get the enhanced EUS before surgery. The goal is to see how many patients are spared unnecessary surgery because the test finds cancer spread that would make surgery ineffective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could improve how doctors decide if surgery is worthwhile for bile duct cancer patients, potentially avoiding unnecessary operations.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not change outcomes directly, and the improved technique might not be better than current methods.
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.
- Participants
-
About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Nov 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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.
Who is studied
Patients with suspected iCCA or pCCA who have a presumed resectable carcinoma will be invited to participate. Patients with CCA distal from the cystic junction but proximal from the pancreatic body are eligible for inclusions as well, as treatment is similar to Bismuth I pCCA. In other words, all patients with CCA that is not distal CCA for which a pancreato-duodenectomy is indicated, are eligible for inclusion. Also patients with presumed unresectable pCCA who are worked-up for liver transplantation are invited to participate. At time of inclusion a definitive diagnosis of iCCA/pCCA is not obligatory, since definitive diagnosis of CCA is sometimes confirmed during the preoperative EUS through EUS guided biopsy of the mass. The probable diagnosis of iCCA/pCCA and the suspected resectability will be established during the multidisciplinary meeting, based on clinical symptoms, cross-sectional imaging, endoscopy and laboratory tests.
- 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 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: * Presumed resectable pCCA OR * Presumed resectable iCCA OR * Presumed resectable mid-common bile duct CCA OR * Presumed unresectable pCCA worked-up for Liver Transplantation AND * Written informed consent must be given according to International Council on Harmonisation/Good Clinical Practice guidelines, and national/local regulations AND * Age \> 18 years. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with a history of treated CCA * Patients with CCA for which a pancreatoduodenectomy is indicated, based on cross-sectional imaging * Patients with a history of treated liver malignancy * Patients with a contra-indication for EUS-tissue acquisition (f.e. uncorrectable coagulopathy or platelet disorder), in line with current clinical practice
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Adenocarcinoma of biliary tract are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
6 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Amsterdam University Medical Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGAmsterdam, Netherlands
-
Erasmus MC University Medical Center
RECRUITINGRotterdam, South Holland, 3015 CN, Netherlands
-
Leiden University Medical Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGLeiden, Netherlands
-
Maastricht University Medical Center+
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGMaastricht, Netherlands
-
University Medical Center Groningen
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGGroningen, Netherlands
-
University Medical Center Utrecht
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGUtrecht, Netherlands
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Blood test guides immunotherapy for hidden cancer cells
- Can Re-Assessing bile duct cancer treatment open the door to surgery?
- Burning away bile duct blockages: a new weapon against cholangiocarcinoma?
- Can a Three-Drug chemo cocktail before surgery stop biliary tract cancer from coming back?
- Can a targeted pill shrink hard-to-treat bile duct cancers?
- Can a targeted drug combo outsmart bile duct cancer?