Can chemotherapy reboot immunotherapy in resistant melanoma?

NCT ID NCT04225390

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 2 trial tested whether giving the chemotherapy drug dacarbazine (DTIC) before re-trying immunotherapy could help patients with advanced melanoma whose cancer had stopped responding to immunotherapy. The study enrolled 38 adults with metastatic melanoma that had progressed after PD-1/PD-L1 or PD-1 plus CTLA-4 blockade. The goal was to see if DTIC could break resistance and allow immunotherapy to work again.

What this could mean

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

Active substance

dacarbazine (DTIC)

What this could lead to

If successful, this approach could offer a new way to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in advanced melanoma patients.

What could go wrong

This is a small, single-arm phase 2 trial with only 38 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment may not improve outcomes and could cause side effects from chemotherapy.

Disclaimer Read more

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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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

metastatic melanoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University Hospital

    Erlangen, Bavaria, 91054, Germany