Solid Tumor CancerMETELNCT07848997
METEL Study Which is to Collect Urine Samples From Patients to Analyse Their Chemistry to Assess How Close to Death the Patient is at Point of Sample When They Have a Solid Cancer Tumour Diagnosis
An observational study of Solid Tumor Cancer, run by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Use of samples from patients with solid cancer tumour diagnosis to assess chemistry Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Solid Tumor Cancer
- How many people
- 1,327 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 1 May 2026to 28 Feb 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
Study population: Patients with a solid tumour cancer diagnosis
Who may be able to join
- Must have as solid cancer tumour diagnosis Must be over the age of 18 Must be able to understand and communicate in English Must be able to provide fully informed consent at the point of trial entry Must be able to urinate freely or be catheterised
Who cannot join
- Does not have a solid cancer tumour diagnosis Under the age of 18 Unable to communicate and understand English Unable to provide fully informed consent at the point of trial entry Is no cathetherised or able to urinate freely
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Liverpool, Merseyside, L7 8YA
Seamus Coyle Coyle, 0151 556 5060, s.coyle@liverpool.ac.uk
About this study
Official title: Metabolic Changes at End of Life
Use of samples from patients with solid cancer tumour diagnosis to assess chemistry
Read the detailed description
We do not know how people die from cancer. In the last two weeks of life, there is evidence for deranged respiratory and renal function variables (2), although few patients have evidence of organ failure. Pulmonary embolus and infection are thought to be the major causes of death based on post-mortem studies (3, 4). However, it is unusual for people with cancer to die suddenly as anticipated from a pulmonary embolus. About a third of patients with advanced cancer admitted to specialist palliative care units have a femoral deep vein thrombosis. Therefore, thromboembolism is considered a manifestation of advanced disease, rather than a cause of premature death (5). There is also a difference between the physiological deterioration leading to death in the acutely unwell patient compared to people dying from cancer (2); there is no evidence of sepsis in those with cancer (6).
This suggests cancer patients generally do not die from organ failure and in those that die with an infection or pulmonary embolus; they die with them, rather than from these events.
A systematic review of biomarkers associated with dying identified common themes in cancer patients, irrespective of the type of malignancy: systemic inflammation, haematological changes, cachexia, hepatic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and electrolyte changes. (7). Given the common features shared in patients dying from cancer, a "dying process" has been proposed (7) but has not yet been described.
- Conditions
- Solid Tumor Cancer
- Keywords
- Solid Cancer Tumour
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Solid Tumour Cancer | Solid Tumour Cancer |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Study Outcome
This work could identify mechanisms involved in the dying process and develop test predicting time until death.
Understanding of the biology of dying will improve the recognition of people in the last days and weeks of life. This will; - - Improve the quality of a person's death by reducing uncertainty and facilitating preferred place of care.
Reduce healthcare spending on futile diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. We will correct urine samples once per week from participants, to be able to analyse their metabolites for changes towards end of life.
Measured: 18 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Sep 2026
- Study start1 May 2026
- Primary completion28 Feb 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion28 Feb 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Solid Tumor CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 1,327 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07848997
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 337603
- Other IDs
- 337603
- Acronym
- METEL
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 30 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Metabolic Changes at End of Life
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07848997
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- METEL / 337603
- Conditions
- Solid Tumor Cancer
- Keywords
- Solid Cancer Tumour
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 1,327 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation TrustUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Feb 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Use of samples from patients with solid cancer tumour diagnosis to assess chemistry
Detailed description
We do not know how people die from cancer. In the last two weeks of life, there is evidence for deranged respiratory and renal function variables (2), although few patients have evidence of organ failure. Pulmonary embolus and infection are thought to be the major causes of death based on post-mortem studies (3, 4). However, it is unusual for people with cancer to die suddenly as anticipated from a pulmonary embolus. About a third of patients with advanced cancer admitted to specialist palliative care units have a femoral deep vein thrombosis. Therefore, thromboembolism is considered a manifestation of advanced disease, rather than a cause of premature death (5). There is also a difference between the physiological deterioration leading to death in the acutely unwell patient compared to people dying from cancer (2); there is no evidence of sepsis in those with cancer (6).
This suggests cancer patients generally do not die from organ failure and in those that die with an infection or pulmonary embolus; they die with them, rather than from these events.
A systematic review of biomarkers associated with dying identified common themes in cancer patients, irrespective of the type of malignancy: systemic inflammation, haematological changes, cachexia, hepatic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and electrolyte changes. (7). Given the common features shared in patients dying from cancer, a "dying process" has been proposed (7) but has not yet been described.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Solid Tumour Cancer | – | –Solid Tumour Cancer |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients with a solid tumour cancer diagnosis
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Must have as solid cancer tumour diagnosis Must be over the age of 18 Must be able to understand and communicate in English Must be able to provide fully informed consent at the point of trial entry Must be able to urinate freely or be catheterised
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Does not have a solid cancer tumour diagnosis Under the age of 18 Unable to communicate and understand English Unable to provide fully informed consent at the point of trial entry Is no cathetherised or able to urinate freely
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Study Outcome
Time frame: 18 months
This work could identify mechanisms involved in the dying process and develop test predicting time until death. Understanding of the biology of dying will improve the recognition of people in the last days and weeks of life. This will; - - Improve the quality of a person's death by reducing uncertainty and facilitating preferred place of care. Reduce healthcare spending on futile diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. We will correct urine samples once per week from participants, to be able to analyse their metabolites for changes towards end of life.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Solid Tumor Cancer, run by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
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 1 inclusion and 1 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. 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. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Seamus Coyle Principal Investigator (0151 556 5060, s.coyle@liverpool.ac.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Study Outcome (time frame: 18 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 30 Sep 2026.