PARASTOP - Paracetamol With Strong Opioids

NCT ID: NCT05051735

Last Updated: 2026-02-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

204 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-10-20

Study Completion Date

2026-03-31

Brief Summary

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Current guidelines recommend all people with cancer-related pain should be prescribed paracetamol, even those receiving high doses of strong pain killers (opioids) such as morphine. Although this has been shown in studies to be beneficial in other conditions, for instance dental work and after surgery, it has not been shown to further improve pain in people with cancer-related pain. Taking tablets is burdensome to patients and the study aims to determine whether the inconvenience of taking eight extra paracetamol tablets per day can be justified.

The study plans to show whether or not pain control is changed (non-inferior) when stopping paracetamol compared to continued use of paracetamol in people already taking strong pain killers for cancer-related pain. Voluntary participants who are taking a combination of paracetamol and a strong opioid are recruited to the study.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Cancer Pain Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Paracetamol

Paracetamol P.O. 500 mg 2 tablets four times a day for 7 days

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Paracetamol

Intervention Type DRUG

Paracetamol 500 mg

Placebo

Placebo P.O. 2 tablets four times a day for 7 days

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Interventions

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Paracetamol

Paracetamol 500 mg

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Acetaminophen

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Participants must be ≥ 18 years of age inclusive, at the time of signing the informed consent.
* ≥50 kg (due to paracetamol dosage)
* Participants who are under palliative care or oncology service review
* Diagnosis of metastatic cancer
* Clinician-predicted life expectancy \>2 months
* Receiving daily regular strong opioids for cancer pain
* Receiving stable scheduled opioid dose last 48 hours\*
* Receiving paracetamol 1 gram x three or four times a day for at least five days
* Average pain intensity past 24 hours ≥ 2 and ≤ 7 (NRS 0-10)\*
* Able to take study drug/placebo as tablets
* Able to comply with all study procedures
* Capable of giving signed informed consent as described in Appendix 1 which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form (ICF) and in this protocol.

* It is allowed to repeat procedure within the screening period without considering the participant being a rescreen

Exclusion Criteria

* History of allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the active substances or excipients in the study drug
* Known severe liver or renal failure equivalent with CTCAE Grade 3 or 4\* precluding continuation of paracetamol. (\*Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 5.0)
* Participants receiving subcutaneous, intravenous, intrathecal, or epidural opioid therapy
* Participants receiving systemic anticancer treatment during the intervention period if they are anticipated to have increasing pain or other symptoms related to the treatment
* Co-enrolment in other drug trials. Participants will not be enrolled in any other on-going interventional clinical trial. Study participants may be enrolled in non-interventional research (e.g. questionnaire, tissue collection studies)
* Previously enrolled in this study
* Pregnant or lactating women
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Sykehuset Telemark

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Oslo University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Ørnulf Paulsen

Senior Consultant

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Ørnulf Paulsen

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Telemark Hospital Trust

Locations

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Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori

Milan, , Italy

Site Status

Vestre Viken Hospital Trust

Drammen, Drammen, Norway

Site Status

Førde Hospital Trust

Førde, Førde, Norway

Site Status

Østfold Hospital Trust

Sarpsborg, Grålum, Norway

Site Status

Sørlandet Hospital Trust

Kristiansand, Kristiansand, Norway

Site Status

Stavanger University Hospital

Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

Site Status

Helse Møre og Romsdal

Ålesund, , Norway

Site Status

Akershus University Hospital

Lørenskog, , Norway

Site Status

OsloUH

Oslo, , Norway

Site Status

Telemark Hospital Trust

Skien, , Norway

Site Status

Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge

Tromsø, , Norway

Site Status

St. Olavs Hospital

Trondheim, , Norway

Site Status

Vestfold Hospital trust

Tønsberg, , Norway

Site Status

Makere University Hospital

Kampala, , Uganda

Site Status

Edinburgh Cancer Research

Edinburgh, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

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Italy Norway Uganda United Kingdom

Other Identifiers

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180946

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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