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NCT07528768Not yet recruitingPhase 2

HEADWATERS: Gemcitabine vs Paclitaxel in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Women of African Ancestry.

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer From the West African Source to the Caribbean Diaspora: A Phase II Randomized Clinical Trial With Correlative Molecular and Population-Stratified Analysis in Women of African Ancestry With Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 22 Sept 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Gemcitabine, a chemotherapy drug that is usually used to treat breast cancer after other treatments have failed, is better at treating triple negative breast cancer in women of African ancestry than Paclitaxel, one of the chemotherapy drugs that is usually used first. People will be invited to participate in the trial if they are women of African ancestry, specifically from Jamaica, Barbados and Ghana, are 18 years or older, have had a biopsy that shows that they have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and are willing to take part. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: 1. Does Gemcitabine stop triple negative breast cancer from growing or spreading better than Paclitaxel? 2. Are participants more likely to get better when taking Gemcitabine or Paclitaxel? 3. What medical problems do participants have when taking Gemcitabine for breast cancer? 4. Do Gemcitabine and Paclitaxel affect Black women of African Ancestry differently than women from other regions or ethnic groups? To answer these questions, half of participants will be treated with Gemcitabine while half is treated with Paclitaxel. Both drugs are given by injection and have already been approved for breast cancer treatment. Participants will: * Take Gemcitabine for two weeks followed by a two-week break or take Paclitaxel once a week for the same time period. * Have some of the cancer tissue that was tested from their biopsy taken for more testing. * Have a physical exam and a blood test done every 3 weeks. * Have images of their cancer taken using CT (Computed Tomography) or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) every 6 weeks. * Answer a brief questionnaire about how they are feeling every 8 weeks. * Be checked on every month after treatment is finished to make sure the cancer hasn't come back.

Status (registry)
Not yet recruiting
Phase (registry)
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
750 (estimated)
First submitted
30 Dec 2025
Start date
Jun 2027
Primary completion date
Jun 2034
Lead sponsor
The University of The West Indies
NCT number
NCT07528768

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
  • Planned participants: 750
  • From Jun 2027 to the primary completion date, Jun 2034
  • 3 sites in 3 countries
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Prior gemcitabine, anthracycline, or taxane treatment in any setting
  • Concurrent participation in other interventional trials

Other illness

  • Medical conditions precluding safe chemotherapy administration

Other

  • Active brain metastases requiring immediate treatment
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Inability to provide informed consent

Who the study is looking for

  • Self-identified Black women of Jamaican, Barbadian or Ghanaian ancestry
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Histologically confirmed metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (recent biopsy required)
  • ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0-1
  • No prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease
  • Adequate organ function (detailed laboratory criteria specified)
  • Written informed consent
  • Willingness to provide biospecimens for research

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: Female · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (3)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
BridgetownBarbadosUnknown status
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
AccraGhanaUnknown status
The University of the West Indies, Mona
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
MonaJamaicaUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.