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Hepatocellular CarcinomaPhase 3SOMAPROTECT01NCT02799212

Evaluation of Postoperative Ascites After Somatostatin Infusion Following Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A Phase 3 study testing somatostatin infusion in people with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 7 sites in France.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Most patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suffer from underlying liver disease and are exposed to the risk of postoperative ascites, with subsequent morbidity, liver and renal failure, the need for specific treatments and prolonged hospital stay. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
What is being tested?
somatostatin infusion
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
179 participants
Where
7 sitesFrance
Study dates
10 Jan 2018to 30 Apr 2024
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients with HCC diagnosed by histology or by imaging findings according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Group
  • Patients with a single or multiple HCCs deemed to be resectable with a curative intent at the preoperative evaluation
  • Patients for whom an indication for hepatectomy has been decided and approved by multidisciplinary board:
  • by laparotomy
  • by coelioscopy with resection of at least 2 liver segments
  • Patients with any underlying liver disease with or without proven cirrhosis, regarding histological features (including F2-F3-F4 fibrosis with or without cirrhosis) or with other evidence of a diseased liver if no biopsy has been performed preoperatively (dysmorphic liver or evidence of portal hypertension at imaging findings, oesophageal varices at endoscopy)
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  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Patients with ability to understand and sign a written inform consent form
  • Patients who will be available for follow-up

Who cannot join

  • Patients participating in another interventional research in progress or including an exclusion period still in progress at pre-inclusion (except interventional research with minimal risks and constraints that do not interfere with the judgement criteria of the study according to the judgement of the coordinating investigator).
  • Patients with evidence of a healthy liver at biopsy
  • Disease-associated non-inclusion criteria include:
  • Another histologic type of hepatic tumor besides HCC
  • Distant extra-hepatic metastases, including peritoneal carcinomatosis
  • The existence of complete portal thrombosis of the main portal trunk
  • Operative technique-associated non-inclusion criteria include:
  • Indication of coelioscopy with resection of less than 2 liver segments

Trial locations and contacts

7 sites in 1 country.

7 sites in 1 country

France7 sites
  • APHP - Hôpital Beaujon

    Clichy

  • CHRU Lille - Hopital Huriez

    Lille

  • Hospices Civils de Lyon - Hôpital de la Croix Rousse

    Lyon, 69004

  • APHM - Hôpital de la Timone

    Marseille

  • CHU de Bordeaux - Hôpital Haut Lévèque

    Pessac

  • CHU Rennes - Hôpital Pontchaillou

    Rennes

  • CHU de Toulouse - Hopital Rangueil

    Toulouse

Other trials in France

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of Postoperative Ascites After Somatostatin Infusion Following Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Placebo Controlled Trial (SOMAPROTECT01)

Most patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suffer from underlying liver disease and are exposed to the risk of postoperative ascites, with subsequent morbidity, liver and renal failure, the need for specific treatments and prolonged hospital stay. Postoperative ascites is favored by an imbalance between portal venous inflow and the diminished hepatic venous outflow. Finding a reversible, non-invasive method for modulating the portal inflow would be of interest: it could be used temporarily during the early postoperative course to prevent acute portal hypertension. Somatostatin, a well-known drug already used in several indications, may limit the risk of postoperative ascites and liver failure by decreasing portal pressure after hepatectomy for HCC in patients with underlying liver disease.

Being tested
somatostatin infusion, placebo infusion
Keywords
Hepatocellular carcinoma, Hepatectomy, Ascites, Somatostatin
Medical subject headings
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Ascites

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • somatostatin infusionDrug

    postoperative somatostatin infusion during 5 days at 6mg/day, followed by one day at 3mg/day.

  • placebo infusionDrug

    Placebo infusion (50ml of 0.9% NaCl/day) during 6 days.

Study groups in NCT02799212
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental groupExperimentalpostoperative somatostatin infusion during 5 days at 6mg/day, followed by one day at 3mg/day
Receives: Drug: somatostatin infusion
Control groupPlacebo comparatorPlacebo infusion (50ml of 0.9% NaCl/day) during 6 days
Receives: Drug: placebo infusion

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. presence of postoperative ascites during the postoperative course

    The presence of postoperative ascites during the postoperative course defined by:

    • ≥500 ml / 24h of fluid in the drains during at least 3 days. Or
    • ascites requiring puncture or drainage

    Measured: Day 90

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Duration of ascites

    Number of days with ≥ 500ml / 24h of ascites

    Measured: Day 90

  2. Volume of ascites

    Total ascites volume

    Measured: Day 90

  3. postoperative morbidity

    Postoperative morbidity according to Dindo-Clavien

    Measured: Day 90

  4. Postoperative morbidity on Liver failure

    Presence and severity of hepatic failure according to International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS)

    Measured: Day 90

  5. Postoperative morbidity on Renal failure

    Presence and severity of renal failure according to RIFLE scale (RIFLE: Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, and End-stage kidney disease)

    Measured: Day 90

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Jun 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start10 Jan 2018
  3. Primary completion30 Apr 2024
  4. Study completion30 Apr 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
179 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02799212
Sponsor's protocol ID
69HCL16_0129
Other IDs
2016-004230-20, 2016
Acronym
SOMAPROTECT01
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
9 Jun 2016
Last updated
3 Oct 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Mohkam K, Rayar M, Adam JP, Muscari F, Rode A, Merle P, Pradat P, Bauler S, Delfour I, Chiche L, Ducerf C, Boudjema K, Lesurtel M, Laurent C, Mabrut JY. Evaluation of postoperative ascites after somatostatin infusion following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma by laparotomy: a multicenter randomized double-blind controlled trial (SOMAPROTECT). BMC Cancer. 2018 Aug 23;18(1):844. doi: 10.1186/s12885-018-4667-0.

    PubMed 30139340

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing somatostatin infusion in people with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 7 sites in France.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 7 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

presence of postoperative ascites during the postoperative course (time frame: Day 90). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02799212, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Oct 2025.

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