New drug shrinks skin cancer before surgery in early trial
NCT ID NCT04315701
First seen Nov 20, 2025 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 28 times
Summary
This phase II trial is testing whether giving the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab before surgery can help shrink high-risk skin cancers that have not spread far. The study involves 35 people with resectable squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers will check how many tumors shrink or disappear after treatment, and how well surgery goes afterward.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Hoag Memorial Hospital
Newport Beach, California, 92663, United States
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Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
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University of Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
cemiplimab (a drug that helps the immune system attack cancer)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to shrink high-risk skin cancers before surgery, potentially making surgery more effective and reducing the chance of the cancer coming back.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase pilot study with only 35 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The drug can cause immune-related side effects, and it is not yet proven to improve long-term outcomes.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.