Freeze and boost: new combo aims to stop breast cancer return

NCT ID NCT03546686

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial is testing whether combining immunotherapy drugs (pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, nivolumab) with a freezing technique called cryoablation before standard surgery can improve outcomes for women with triple-negative breast cancer. The study enrolls 51 women who have residual disease after initial chemotherapy. The goal is to see if this approach extends the time without cancer returning or spreading.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Pembrolizumab, Ipilimumab, Nivolumab (immunotherapy drugs)
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could reduce the risk of breast cancer returning after surgery and improve long-term survival for women with triple-negative breast cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 51 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Immunotherapy can cause serious side effects like inflammation of organs, and the combination with cryoablation is experimental.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm triple-negative breast carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States
Ohio State University Medical Center

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
Providence Cancer Institute

Portland, Oregon, 97213, United States
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States

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