New combo therapy shows promise for lung cancer patients without chemo

NCT ID NCT03523702

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Montefiore Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This phase 2 trial tested a combination of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab and a personalized 4-week course of radiotherapy in 25 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors had high PD-L1 levels. The goal was to see if this approach could control the cancer better than standard chemo-radiotherapy. The study measured how long patients lived without their cancer getting worse and whether the cancer spread to other parts of the body.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: pembrolizumab (immunotherapy drug) plus radiotherapy
What this could lead to: If successful, this could offer a chemotherapy-free treatment option for certain lung cancer patients with high PD-L1 levels.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 25 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment is not a cure and disease progression or side effects remain possible.

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.

non-small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC)

Contacts and locations

Locations

Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, 10467, United States

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