Immune booster and radiation combo tested before breast cancer surgery
NCT ID NCT03366844
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) along with a small dose of radiation to the tumor before standard treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation) is safe and helps the immune system fight breast cancer. About 66 people with operable breast cancer will receive two doses of pembrolizumab, with radiation given at the second dose. The goal is to see if this approach can boost immune activity in the tumor without delaying standard care.
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) and radiation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to make standard breast cancer treatments more effective by priming the immune system beforehand.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (Phase 1/2) with only 66 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The combination may cause immune-related side effects or delays in standard care.
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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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Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States
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