Immunotherapy after Chemo-Radiation shows promise for rare throat cancer

NCT ID NCT04227509

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Seoul National University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This phase 2 trial tested whether adding the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab after standard chemoradiotherapy could help people with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Fifty-three patients received either pembrolizumab or a placebo every three weeks for up to a year. The main goal was to see if the drug improved the rate of patients who remained cancer-free after three years.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Pembrolizumab (a drug that helps the immune system fight cancer)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new standard treatment to delay cancer progression in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 53 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The drug can cause immune-related side effects, and not all patients may benefit.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

nasopharyngeal carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital

Seoul, 110-744, South Korea

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