Immunotherapy before surgery shows promise for certain colorectal cancers

NCT ID NCT05197322

First seen Apr 24, 2026

Summary

This trial is testing whether giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before surgery can improve outcomes for people with high-risk stage 2 or stage 3 colorectal cancer that has a specific genetic feature called mismatch repair deficiency. About 88 participants will receive pembrolizumab for up to 9 weeks before their planned surgery. Researchers will track how long patients stay cancer-free and whether the tumor is completely removed.

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.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE COLON are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Addenbrookes Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

    RECRUITING

    Glasgow, G12 0YN, United Kingdom

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Wilmslow Road,

    RECRUITING

    Manchester, M20 4BX, United Kingdom

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Southampton General Hospital

    COMPLETED

    Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom

  • St James University Hospital (SJUH)

    COMPLETED

    Leeds, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom

  • University College Hospital

    RECRUITING

    London, NW1 2BU, United Kingdom

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

What this could mean

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

Active substance

Pembrolizumab (immunotherapy drug)

What this could lead to

If successful, this could show that giving pembrolizumab before surgery helps remove the tumor completely and delays or prevents cancer from coming back in patients with this specific type of colorectal cancer.

What could go wrong

This is a small Phase 2 trial with only 88 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Immunotherapy can cause side effects like inflammation in healthy organs, and not all patients may respond.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

colon adenocarcinoma colonic neoplasm colorectal cancer rectum adenocarcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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