Immunotherapy before surgery may cut skin cancer recurrence
NCT ID NCT04808999
First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) before surgery can improve outcomes for people with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), a common skin cancer. Participants receive pembrolizumab infusions before their planned surgery, and researchers track how the cancer responds and whether it returns. The goal is to see if this neoadjuvant approach reduces the risk of relapse in patients who have not previously received PD-1 inhibitors.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system fight cancer
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a way to reduce the risk of cancer returning after surgery for high-risk skin cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial, so results may not apply broadly. Immunotherapy can cause side effects like inflammation in healthy organs.
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.
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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UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15232, United States
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