Immunotherapy combo shows promise in aggressive breast cancer trial

NCT ID NCT03515798

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Institut Paoli-Calmettes Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase II trial is testing whether adding the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to standard chemotherapy can improve outcomes for people with HER2-negative inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive type. About 52 participants will receive either chemo alone or chemo plus pembrolizumab before surgery. The main goal is to see if the combination leads to a higher rate of complete cancer disappearance at the time of surgery.

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) plus standard chemotherapy (epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel)
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could improve the chance of eliminating all cancer before surgery, potentially leading to better long-term outcomes for people with this aggressive breast cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase (phase II) study with only 52 participants. The added immunotherapy may cause immune-related side effects, and it is not yet known if it will meaningfully improve survival or recurrence rates.

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.

inflammatory breast carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

CENTRE Francois Baclesse

Caen, France
Centre Georges Francois Leclerc

Dijon, 21079, France
Centre Henri Becquerel

Rouen, France
Centre Leon Berard

Lyon, France
Centre Paul Strauss

Strasbourg, France
Clinique de L'Europe

Amiens, France
IUCT-Oncopole Institut Claudius Rigaud

Toulouse, France
Institut BERGONIE

Bordeaux, France
Institut Curie

Paris, France
Institut Curie hopital rene huguenin

Saint-Cloud, France
Institut Sainte Catherine

Avignon, France
Institut de cancérologie de la loire

Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France

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