Asp-PSC Trial: Effect of Aspirin on Reducing Cancer & Improving Outcomes in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
Study code
NBR271
Lead researcher
Prof Shahid A Khan & Dr Simon Rushbrook
Study type
Participant re-contact
Institution or company
Imperial Clinical Trials Unit
Researcher type
Academic
Speciality area
Unassigned, Gastroenterology
Summary
PSC is an incurable autoimmune disease affecting the bile ducts and liver. Many PSC
patients also have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This combination increases
the risk of bile duct, gallbladder, liver, or bowel cancer. While yearly colonoscopies
are standard, there are no effective screening tools for these other cancers. This
leads to late diagnoses and often fatal outcomes.
This study aims to investigate whether daily low-dose aspirin can:
- reduce liver disease complications
- needing a liver transplant
- reduce dying prematurely
968 volunteers with PSC and IBD will participate. Two-thirds will receive daily low-dose aspirin, while one-third will receive a placebo. Neither participants nor
researchers will know who receives which treatment. Regular monitoring will involve
scans, blood tests, urine tests, and quality-of-life questionnaires.