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

NCT ID NCT03546686

First seen Oct 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 20, 2026 · Updated 32 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.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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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

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.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

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