Immune booster added to standard cancer care shows promise in early trial
NCT ID NCT02641093
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial is testing whether adding the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to standard treatment—surgery, radiation, and sometimes chemotherapy—can help people with head and neck cancer live longer without the cancer returning. About 96 participants will receive pembrolizumab before and after surgery, along with standard care. The study focuses on safety and disease-free survival.
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 lead to a new standard treatment that improves disease-free survival for people with head and neck cancer after surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 2 trial with only 96 participants, so results are preliminary. Adding pembrolizumab may increase side effects without clear benefit.
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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MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
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University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219, United States
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University of Louisville - James Graham Brown Cancer Center
Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
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University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a new nucleotide analogue boost cancer treatment?
- Can a short course of immunotherapy and radiation shrink head and neck tumors before surgery?
- Can standard cancer treatment wake up the immune system? a study investigates.
- Can a Two-Drug attack shrink Hard-to-Treat head and neck tumors?