Neoadjuvant PD-1 Blockade in Resectable Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine
Summary
The main purpose of this study is to determine the response of Merkel cell carcinoma to pembrolizumab before surgery and to determine whether it further reduces the risk for disease recurrence. Another purpose of this study is to look at the side effects that occur when the experimental drug pembrolizumab is given to people with Merkel cell carcinoma before and after their standard of care surgery to remove the Merkel cell carcinoma.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Must have resectable stage I-III MCC. 2. Must be expected to have an adequate amount of tumor burden to yield 2-4 pre-operative research core biopsy (14-gauge needle) specimens or the equivalent amount of tissue (4-6 mm punch biopsy), in addition, to the tissue required for diagnostic purposes. For stage III MCC patients, assessment of measurable disease/tumor burden will be determined by tumor imaging and reviewed by the treatment team. 3. Must be expected to have an adequate amount of residual tumor after their pre-operative research tumor tissue collection, such that…
Interventions
- DrugPembrolizumab
400mg IV
Location
- Penn MedicinePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania