Researchers Open Phase I Clinical Trial of Cryoablation with Keytruda

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City has opened a novel clinical trial that combines the immunotherapy drug Keytruda with cryoablation for patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma. The phase I trial opened in September and will be available at seven Memorial Sloan Kettering locations in the New York City/New Jersey area. Cryoablation, which is also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery, is a treatment that freezes localized tumors with argon gas or liquid nitrogen. It has been used effectively with liver, kidney and prostate cancers, but its use with mesothelioma has been limited because of the cancer’s diffuse tumor makeup. Although cryoablation can kill tumor cells with extreme cold, the aim of this latest study is to evaluate its safety and synergy with Keytruda in activating a patient’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Keytruda, known generically as pembrolizumab, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2020 for treatment of certain adult and pediatric cancers, but only for those with high mutational burden and no alternative treatment options. Trial Targets Patients with Unresectable Mesothelioma The single-arm, single-institution study is currently recruiting and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. It is open to pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma patients whose tumors cannot be removed with surgery. Treatment involves one cycle of Keytruda given intravenously, followed by...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news