Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2027-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is typically associated with a high tumour mutation
burden, with the majority caused by Ultraviolet (UV) exposure (Pickering et al., 2014).
The use of this trial using neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in patients with cSCC who will
otherwise undergo highly morbid radical surgical resection has multiple potential advantages,
including:
1. Reduction in surgical and radiotherapy morbidity by reducing tumour burden and allowing
the appropriate selection of patients to undergo post-operative radiotherapy;
2. Provision of immediate information about pathological response and
3. Access to tissue to provide insight into resistance mechanisms and identification of
biomarkers of response.
The Investigators hypothesized that the use of neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab could reduce tumour
burden allowing appropriate selection of patients undergoing radical surgical resection and
adjuvant radiotherapy.