Combination therapy shows promise for Hard-to-Treat lymphoma
NCT ID NCT03210662
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase II trial tested whether combining the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with targeted radiation therapy could help patients whose non-Hodgkin lymphoma had returned or stopped responding to treatment. Seventeen adults with aggressive lymphoma types received both treatments. The main goal was to see how many patients responded, with response measured by PET-CT scans. This small study aims to find better options for a difficult-to-treat cancer.
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 external beam radiation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option for patients with hard-to-treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has returned or not responded to prior therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early-phase study with only 17 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment may not work for all lymphoma types and could cause side effects from both radiation and immunotherapy.
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
-
M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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