Immune drug rituximab tested to shrink prostate tumors before surgery

NCT ID NCT01804712

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Christopher Kane Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This early-phase trial tested whether rituximab, a drug that depletes B cells, could reduce immune cell infiltration in prostate tumors. Eight high-risk prostate cancer patients received four weekly doses before their scheduled prostate removal. The main goal was to see if B-cell levels in the tumor decreased after treatment, not to measure cancer outcomes directly.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: rituximab (Rituxan)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new way to treat high-risk prostate cancer by targeting immune cells that help tumors grow.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early-phase pilot study with only 8 participants, so results may not apply broadly. It is designed mainly to check a biological effect, not to prove the drug works against cancer.

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.

neoplasm prostate cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

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

PROSTATE CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Moores UCSD Cancer Center

La Jolla, California, 92093-0698, United States

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