Immune therapy before surgery for early-stage melanoma
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy approaches to early stage melanoma
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · WISTAR INSTITUTE · NIH-11187266
Giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before surgery to people with high-risk Stage II melanoma to help lower the chance the cancer comes back.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WISTAR INSTITUTE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11187266 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
In this trial, you would receive pembrolizumab (a PD-1 immune therapy) before your planned surgery for Stage IIB/C melanoma. Doctors will collect samples from your primary tumor and the sentinel lymph node to see how the drug changes immune cells that help control cancer spread. The research team is especially studying myeloid cells in the sentinel lymph node to understand how they influence the node’s ability to block metastasis and support anti-tumor T cell responses. Results will help determine whether priming the lymph node immune environment before surgery can reduce recurrences and guide future care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with clinical Stage IIB or IIC cutaneous melanoma who are scheduled for surgery and willing to receive pembrolizumab beforehand and provide tumor and sentinel lymph node samples.
Not a fit: People with earlier-stage disease, other types of cancer, active autoimmune conditions, or medical contraindications to PD-1 immunotherapy are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower recurrence rates and improve long-term survival for people with high-risk Stage II melanoma.
How similar studies have performed: Other trials of pembrolizumab and similar PD-1 drugs in adjuvant and neoadjuvant melanoma have shown promising pathological responses and improved outcomes, but neoadjuvant approaches are still being refined.
Where this research is happening
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES
- WISTAR INSTITUTE — PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: HERLYN, MEENHARD F — WISTAR INSTITUTE
- Study coordinator: HERLYN, MEENHARD F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Cancers