Immunotherapy combo may keep rare head and neck cancer at bay

NCT ID NCT03313206

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before and after surgery can help prevent head and neck mucosal melanoma from coming back. About 60 adults with resectable tumors will receive pembrolizumab, then surgery and possibly radiation, followed by more pembrolizumab. The main goal is to see how long participants remain cancer-free after treatment.

What this could mean

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

Active substance

Pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system fight cancer)

What this could lead to

If successful, this approach could improve the chances of keeping head and neck mucosal melanoma from coming back after surgery.

What could go wrong

This is a Phase 2 trial with only 60 participants, so results are preliminary. Immunotherapy can cause side effects like inflammation in healthy organs, and the cancer may still return.

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.

mucosal melanoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Gustave Roussy

    Villejuif, Val De Marne, 94805, France