Can a cancer drug stop lung cancer before it starts?
NCT ID NCT03634241
First seen Jan 07, 2026 · Last updated Jun 22, 2026 · Updated 34 times
Summary
This phase II trial tested whether the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) can prevent lung cancer in 45 people with high-risk lung nodules or early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Participants received pembrolizumab intravenously, and researchers tracked tumor response and survival. The goal was to see if the drug could shrink or stabilize nodules and prevent progression to full-blown cancer.
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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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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone
New York, New York, 10016, United States
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M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a way to prevent lung cancer from developing in people with suspicious lung nodules.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 45 participants and no comparison group, so results may not apply broadly. Pembrolizumab can cause immune-related side effects.
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.