1. the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf). 2. clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) 3. taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. 4. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration \[gf\] creatinine clearance or clcr \<30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. 5. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).

1. the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf). 2. clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) 3. taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. 4. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration \[gf\] creatinine clearance or clcr \<30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. 5. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).

the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf). clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration [gf] creatinine clearance or clcr <30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).

the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf). clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration [gf] creatinine clearance or clcr <30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).

1. the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf ). 2. clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) 3. taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. 4. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration [gf] creatinine clearance or clcr <30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. 5. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).

1. the clinical situation of an advanced or terminal illness, according to the clinical judgment of the doctor in charge and as defined by the spanish society for palliative care (secpal), which describes it as an advanced illness in an evolutionary and irreversible phase with multiple symptoms, emotional impact, loss of autonomy, with very little or no capacity to respond to specific treatment and with a life expectancy limited to weeks or months, in a context of progressive fragility (http://envejecimiento.csic.es/documentos/documentos/navarro-cuidadospaliativos-01.pdf ). 2. clinical status which is advanced and severe or in which the level of consciousness has deteriorated and the oral route of taking the medication is not safely tolerated (in the opinion of the doctor in charge) 3. taking any of the drugs in the trial (colchicine or prednisone) chronically or intermittently in the 7 days prior to study inclusion. 4. absolute contraindication to the use of the study medication, including hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of its excipients, severe renal failure (glomerular filtration [gf] creatinine clearance or clcr <30 ml/min) and patients undergoing haemodialysis, severe liver failure, severe gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulcer or blood dyscrasias. 5. concomitant treatment with macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), cyclosporine and antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), all potent inhibitors of cyp3a4 (key cytochrome in the colchicine metabolism pathway).