Blood test may guide lung cancer therapy, avoiding unnecessary chemo

NCT ID NCT04166487

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Julia K. Rotow, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study is testing whether a blood test that looks for cancer DNA can tell if immunotherapy alone is working for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. If the test shows the cancer is not responding, patients would switch to immunotherapy plus chemotherapy. The goal is to personalize treatment and improve outcomes. The study involves 40 participants and uses the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with or without standard chemotherapy.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with or without platinum doublet chemotherapy (carboplatin plus pemetrexed or paclitaxel)
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could allow doctors to personalize treatment for advanced lung cancer, potentially improving outcomes by switching therapy early when needed.
What could go wrong: This is a small pilot study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The blood test may not reliably predict response, and adding chemotherapy increases side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

non-small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

METASTATIC NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER NSCLC STAGE IV

Contacts and locations

Locations

Boston Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02118, United States
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Dana-Farber at Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center

Brighton, Massachusetts, 02135, United States
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) in clinical affiliation with South Shore Hospital

South Weymouth, Massachusetts, 02190, United States

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