Research Radartracking 1,138 published studies · 277 human · 6 safety signals · 42 clinical trials · 44 cancer pages · updated Jul 2026Open the Research Map →
Sodium Butyrate
SCFA HDACi: Tumor-suppressor ↑, cell-cycle arrest; preclinical in colorectal/breast/pancreatic/lung.
Educational only, not medical advice. OncoForge makes no claim that Sodium Butyrate treats, prevents, or cures any condition, beyond what the linked studies show. Evidence levels vary; effects may not translate to people, and some compounds can cause harm. Always coordinate with your oncology team.
Key Takeaway
SCFA and class I/IIa HDAC inhibitor that re-expresses tumor suppressors and can trigger cell-cycle arrest/apoptosis—strong preclinical data; human oncology trials are limited. Clinically, leverage diet/tributyrin/colon-targeted delivery rather than high-dose sodium butyrate.
Evidence at a glance
Tier 1 · labColorectalBreastPancreaticLung
Preclinical HDAC/apoptosis dominance; small CRC phase II signals; meta-barrier/QoL modest; ongoing tributyrin trials; delivery key to systemic reach.
Butyrate inhibits HDACs, increasing histone H3/H4 acetylation and transcription of p21, p27, and pro-apoptotic genes. It modulates NF-κB and fuels colonocytes, improving barrier function and dampening inflammation. Epigenetic reprogramming reduces proliferation, induces differentiation, and sensitizes to 5-FU and other agents in colorectal and breast models.
Targets & pathways
Curated mechanistic targets reported for this agent — how it may act on cells, not proof of a clinical effect.
Resveratrol: Epigenetic re-expression synergy in pancreatic.
Overlapping mechanisms
HDAC ↓: Overlaps vorinostat; monitor acetylation.
Cell Cycle Arrest: Redundant with sulforaphane; G1 saturation.
Safety & interactions
Severity and how well-established each signal is are shown separately. Verify everything with your oncologist or pharmacist — absence here does not mean safe.
Risk categories
Gi UpsetSodium LoadOsmotic Diarrhea
Potential interactions
5-FUSynergizeLowTheoreticalApoptosis enhancement in CRC.
What has been studied, and how strong it is, by topic. A dashed cell means no studies were found for that combination — a gap, not evidence of no effect. Open a row to see its studies.
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · Jul 2025 · randomized, open-label, phase III, multicenter
This randomized phase III trial assigned 571 patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma to gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel with or without Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields). Adding TTFields significantly prolonged median overall survival (16.2 vs 14.2 months; HR 0.82; P = .039), and also improved pain-free survival and distant progression-free survival; PFS, local PFS, and overall response rate were not improved. Device-related skin adverse events occurred in 76.3% of patients (mostly mild-to-moderate) with 7.7% reporting grade 3 skin AEs.
Reported effects: median OS 16.2 mo [15–18], n=571 · OS HR 0.82 [0.68–0.99], p=0.039, n=571 · +6 more
Studied with: gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.
Key findings
Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer with TTFields plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone (median 16.2 months v 14.2 months; HR 0.82; P = .039).
Pain-free survival was significantly prolonged with TTFields (median 15.2 months v 9.1 months; HR 0.74; P = .027).
Distant progression-free survival (distant PFS) was significantly prolonged with TTFields (median 13.9 months v 11.5 months; HR 0.74; P = .022); this analysis was reported post hoc.
Progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS, and overall response rate (ORR) were not improved with TTFields.
Device-related skin adverse events occurred in 76.3% of patients, mostly mild-to-moderate, with 7.7% experiencing grade 3 skin AEs.
The abstract reports no additive systemic toxicity with the addition of TTFields.
Limitations: Open-label design (not blinded).; Distant PFS outcome was analyzed post hoc.; Device-related skin adverse events were common (76.3%), including 7.7% grade 3 events.; Abstract provides limited detail on duration of follow-up and per-arm event counts.; Findings apply to patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and may not generalize to other stages..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jul 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
Human trialTrialReported positiveLimited evidenceTier 4 · clinicaln = 36
This randomized trial compared standard gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy with or without high-dose intravenous vitamin C (75 g three times weekly) in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Adding pharmacological ascorbate increased median overall survival (16 vs 8.3 months) and median progression-free survival (6.2 vs 3.9 months) and did not increase adverse events or worsen quality of life. The trial randomized 36 patients (34 received assigned treatment).
Reported effects: median overall survival 16 mo · HR overall survival 0.46 [0.23–0.92], p=0.03 · +3 more
Studied with: gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel.
Key findings
Intravenous P-AscH- increased serum ascorbate levels from micromolar to millimolar levels.
P-AscH- added to gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (ASC) increased overall survival to 16 months compared to 8.3 months with gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (SOC) (HR = 0.46; 90 % CI 0.23, 0.92; p = 0.030).
Median progression free survival was 6.2 (ASC) vs. 3.9 months (SOC) (HR = 0.43; 90 % CI 0.20, 0.92; p = 0.029).
Adding P-AscH- did not negatively impact quality of life or increase the frequency or severity of adverse events.
Limitations: Small randomized sample (36 randomized, 34 treated) limits precision and generalizability.; Abstract reports 90% confidence intervals rather than the more conventional 95% CIs.; Trial phase and longer-term follow-up details are not reported in the abstract.; Single randomized trial; results require confirmation in larger studies..
Randomized clinical trial testing high-dose intravenous vitamin C added to first-line chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer with overall and progression-free survival endpoints.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jul 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
What changed recently
The latest additions to Sodium Butyrate's evidence base, and anything that's been retracted.
Cancers where Sodium Butyrate reported positive results
Where at least one study reported a positive result, shown with the full picture, not just the wins. Positive results are more likely to be published, and most of these are early lab or animal studies that may not translate to people. This reports what studies found, not what works.
Human evidence
Locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma1 positive1 human
Limitations: Open-label design (not blinded).; Distant PFS outcome was analyzed post hoc.; Device-related skin adverse events were common (76.3%), including 7.7% grade 3 events.; Abstract provides limited detail on duration of follow-up and per-arm event counts.; Findings apply to patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and may not generalize to other stages..
Limitations: Open-label design (not blinded).; Distant PFS outcome was analyzed post hoc.; Device-related skin adverse events were common (76.3%), including 7.7% grade 3 events.; Abstract provides limited detail on duration of follow-up and per-arm event counts.; Findings apply to patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and may not generalize to other stages..
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (metastatic)1 positive1 human
Limitations: Small randomized sample (36 randomized, 34 treated) limits precision and generalizability.; Abstract reports 90% confidence intervals rather than the more conventional 95% CIs.; Trial phase and longer-term follow-up details are not reported in the abstract.; Single randomized trial; results require confirmation in larger studies..
A deterministic grade of what published studies report for each: strength of evidence, the reported direction, and the largest credible effect, strongest-evidence first. This summarizes findings; it is not a claim that anything works.
Locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma●Human trial / meta-analysis▲Reported positive1 human
Includes human trial or meta-analysis evidence.
Largest credible effect: median OS 16.2 mo [15–18], n=571 PMID 40448572 · median-survival values 13.9–16.2 across 3 studies
These are doses as studied or reported, never a recommendation. The right amount of Sodium Butyrate depends on you, your other medicines, and your situation; decide it with your oncology team and pharmacist, not from a web page.
Ranges seen in adjunct / practice use: 300–1200 mg/day (po) divided BID; tributyrin preferred, Adjunct 600 mg/day butyrate equivalent; dietary 10-20 g fiber/day; monitor sodium in renal impairment..
8 ongoing · 7 completed · tracked from ClinicalTrials.gov. Recruiting is not the same as proven, and completed is not the same as positive — read the results. Not a recommendation.
Inclusion here is not an endorsement. OncoForge makes no claim beyond what the linked studies show. Discuss anything on this page with your oncology team before acting on it.