Immune drug plus targeted chemo shows promise for liver cancer in early trial
NCT ID NCT03143270
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-phase study tests whether combining the immune-boosting drug nivolumab with a procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly to liver tumors (called deb-TACE) is safe for people with advanced liver cancer. Twenty participants will receive the combination, and researchers will track side effects. The goal is to see if this approach can be used in future, larger studies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
nivolumab (a drug that helps the immune system fight cancer) combined with drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (a procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver tumor and blocks its blood supply)
What this could lead to
If this combination proves safe, it could point toward a new treatment option for advanced liver cancer that is not removable by surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small pilot study with only 20 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The main goal is safety, not effectiveness, and side effects from the immune drug or the procedure could be serious.
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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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.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Abramson Cancer Center at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-4283, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Commack
Commack, New York, 11725, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau
Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
Harrison, New York, 10604, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
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Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States