Can a cancer drug boost quality of life for the sickest lung cancer patients?
NCT ID NCT05589818
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can improve quality of life for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who are not healthy enough for standard treatments. The trial will enroll 45 patients who have not had prior cancer therapy and have a poor performance status (ECOG 2 or 3). Participants will receive pembrolizumab every three weeks, and their quality of life will be measured using a standard questionnaire over 12 weeks.
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 successful, this could show that pembrolizumab improves quality of life for people with advanced lung cancer who are too weak for standard treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with no comparison group, so results may not be conclusive. Pembrolizumab can cause immune-related side effects like inflammation of the lungs, colon, or skin.
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
Locations
-
Mount Sinai Hospital
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10029, United States
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