New immunotherapy combo aims to stop merkel cell cancer return

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Aged ≥ 18 years 2. Written consent 3. Histologically confirmed, resectable Merkel cell carcinoma with AJCC (8th ed) clinical or pathological stage I (≥ 10 mm), IIA, or IIB or III disease 4. In-transit metastases are permitted if they are completely resectable 5. Measurable disease according to RECIST 1.1 criteria 6. Previous radiotherapy permitted if there is RECIST-measurable progression of disease since the completion of radiotherapy 7. At least one of either, archival tissue from a primary or nodal MCC lesion (if applicable) for the current diagnosis and/or a newly obtained core biopsy of a lesion which has not been previously irradiated. 8. ECOG 0-1 9. Adequate organ function on blood pathology 10. Life expectancy \>12 months 11. Female patients to use effective contraception during study treatment and for 5 months after last dose. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Clinical, radiographic or pathological evidence of distant metastases 2. Contraindication to nivolumab and / or relatlimab 3. Prior anti-PD-1, CTLA-4, PDL-1 or LAG 3 antibody exposure, or an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor for any disease or any chemotherapy or experimental local or systemic drug treatment 4. Active autoimmune disease or requirement for chronic steroid therapy other than hormone replacement therapy 5. A diagnosis of immunodeficiency or chronic steroid therapy \>10 mg OD prednisone or equivalent 6. Additional malignancy active within past 3 years; patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia can be included in this study. 7. Uncontrolled cardiovascular disease or history of myocarditis 8. Has had an allogenic tissue/solid organ transplant 9. Troponin T (TnT) or I (TnI) \>2 × institutional ULN 10. Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease that required steroids or has current pneumonitis or current interstitial lung disease 11. Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy 12. Active Hepatitis B (defined as Hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] reactive) or Hepatitis C virus (defined as HCV RNA \[qualitative\] is detected) infection. 13. Known HIV 14. Pregnant or breast feeding females 15. Concurrent medical or social conditions that may prevent the patient attending assessments or procedures per schedule