Immunotherapy after surgery may keep early lung cancer at bay

NCT ID NCT04317534

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Greg Durm, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This study is for people with stage I non-small cell lung cancer who have had their tumor surgically removed. It compares receiving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab every 6 weeks for about a year versus simply being watched (observation). The goal is to see if pembrolizumab can delay or prevent the cancer from coming back. About 244 participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups.

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)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could offer a way to reduce the risk of cancer returning after surgery for early-stage lung cancer patients.
What could go wrong: This is a phase 2 trial with a moderate number of participants, so results are not definitive. Immunotherapy can cause immune-related side effects, and the benefit over observation alone is not yet proven.

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

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

non-small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

NSCLC, STAGE I

Contacts and locations

Locations

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
RECRUITING

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
Moffit Cancer Center
RECRUITING

Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
RECRUITING

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
Penn State Cancer Institute
RECRUITING

Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States
Providence Health & Services - Oregon
RECRUITING

Portland, Oregon, 97213, United States
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
RECRUITING

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, United States
Univeristy of Wisconsin
RECRUITING

Madison, Wisconsin, 53705, United States
University of Illinois Cancer Center
RECRUITING

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
RECRUITING

Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States
University of Minnesota
RECRUITING

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
University of Nebraska Medical Center
RECRUITING

Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States
University of Virginia Health System
RECRUITING

Charlottesville, Virginia, 22908, United States
Virginia Commonwealth University
RECRUITING

Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.