Two-Drug combo aims to shrink vulvar tumors before surgery
NCT ID NCT07679841
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether combining an immune-boosting cream (imiquimod) with a low dose of an immunotherapy drug (nivolumab) can shrink vulvar squamous cell carcinoma tumors before surgery. About 50 women with resectable, early-to-moderate stage vulvar cancer will receive the drugs for six weeks prior to their planned operation. The study looks at safety and how well the tumors respond, with the goal of improving surgical outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- nivolumab and imiquimod
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could shrink vulvar tumors before surgery, potentially making surgery easier and improving long-term control of the disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with only 50 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The drugs can cause side effects like skin reactions, flu-like symptoms, or immune-related issues that could delay surgery.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: I1. Female patient ≥ 18 years of age on day of signing informed consent. I2. Histologically confirmed primary VSCC, with all of the following characteristics: * At least 1 lesion that can be measured in at least 1 dimension with ≥ 10 mm in largest diameter * Clinically stage FIGO I-III (2021 FIGO staging) * Eligible for primary tumour surgery * Surgical complexity due to either bulky tumors \> 4 cm OR multifocal tumor (defined as the presence of two or more foci of cancer on the vulva), the largest lesion must be ≥ 10 mm and all lesions ≥ 10 mm are designated as "target" lesion(s) for all subsequent tumor evaluations OR any tumor for which a surgical excision would have anatomical or functional consequences deemed significant by the treating surgeon I3. Availability of a representative formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample of the primary tumor tissue (biopsy) with an associated pathology report. This tumor sample must meet the following quality/quantity control criteria: ≥30 % of tumor cells and a tumor surface area ≥ 5mm2 I4. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) ≤ 2 I5. Patients with adequate organ function: * Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) ≥ 1 10\^9/L * Platelets ≥ 100 10\^9/L (without transfusion for platelets within 7 days) * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Creatinine clearance according to CKD-EPI ≥ 30 mL/min * Serum total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (except for patients with Gilbert disease for whom a total serum bilirubin ≤ 3 x ULN is acceptable) * AST and ALT ≤ 3 x ULN I6. Women of child-bearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to C1D1 and must agree to use effective forms of contraception from the time of the negative pregnancy test up to 5 months after the last dose of nivolumab. I7. Patient should understand, sign, and date the written voluntary informed consent form at the screening visit prior to any protocol-specific procedures performed. Patient should be able and willing to comply with study visits and procedures as per protocol. I8. Patients must be covered by a medical insurance. Exclusion Criteria: E1. Patients participating in another clinical trial with therapeutic intent. E2. Patients previously treated with any anti-cancer treatment including anti-PD-1, anti-PDL1, or anti PD L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T cell receptor (e.g., CTLA-4, OX 40, CD37). E3. Patients not respecting the minimal washout period or receiving or anticipation of need during the study of the following medications/procedure: * Major surgery: 2 weeks * Live vaccines: 4 weeks * Systemic corticosteroids (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone or equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy: 1 week E4. Patients with known additional malignancy that is progressing or has required active treatment within the past 3 years. Note: Participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin on a location other than the vulva, or carcinoma in situ (e.g. of the breast, cervix or bladder) that have undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded. E5. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or any of the study drug excipients. E6. Patients with evidence of significant uncontrolled infection or concomitant disease, or psychiatric illness/social situations that could affect compliance with the protocol or interpretation of results. E7. Patients with prior organ or bone marrow transplant. E8. Patients with known active hepatitis B, C, or HIV infection or any active infection requiring systemic therapy. E9. Patients with known or suspected active autoimmune disease. Note: Patients with skin disorders (such as vitiligo, psoriasis or alopecia), type I diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism only requiring hormone replacement or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger are eligible. E10. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CHU de Saint Etienne
Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France
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Centre Léon Bérard
Lyon, France
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Groupe Hospitalier Mutualiste de Grenoble
Grenoble, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Blood test and patient surveys aim to outsmart vulva cancer recurrence
- Could a single dye replace the standard two-step test for vulvar cancer spread?
- New combo therapy shows promise for Hard-to-Treat vulvar cancer
- Vulvar cancer breakthrough: surgery tailored by virus and gene status
- New radioactive drug targets Hard-to-Treat cancers in early trial