A trial looking at pembrolizumab for people with liver cancer (KEYNOTE-937)

The following bullet points list the entry conditions for this trial. Talk to your doctor or the trial team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you. 

Who can take part
You may be able to join this trial if all of the following apply:

• you have hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) 
• you have had surgery, radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation to remove the cancer in the past 6 weeks
• you have a moderate, high or very high risk of your cancer coming back – your doctor can tell you more about this 
• you have had a CT scan in the last month and you no longer have signs of cancer 
• you are willing to give a tissue sample of your cancer taken when you had surgery or a biopsy
• you are fully active, more or less as you were before your cancer diagnosis (performance status of 0) 
• your liver is working normally (Child-Pugh score A)
• you have, or have had, liver infection with the hepatitis C virus and you have finished treatment for it more than 4 weeks ago 
• you have hepatitis B that is controlled  
• you have satisfactory blood test results 
• you are at least 18 years old 
• you are willing to use reliable contraception during treatment and for up to 4 months afterwards if there is any possibility that you or your partner could become pregnant 

Who can’t take part

Cancer related
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• have had embolisation or chemoembolisation, hepatic artery infusion  or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
• still have side effects from your previous cancer treatment  
• have had pembrolizumab or any other similar drug 
• have had treatment that reached your whole body (systemic) for liver cancer
• are currently having any treatment for liver cancer such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or an investigational treatment
• have had another cancer in the past 3 years unless it was non melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ  of the cervix and breast that has been successfully treated 

Medical conditions
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• are taking part in another clinical trial or have taken part in a trial looking at a new drug or device in the last month 
• have had bleeding from swollen veins in the food pipe or stomach (oesophageal or stomach varices) in the last 6 months 
• have a build up of fluid in your tummy (ascites) 
• have problems with your brain (encephalopathy ) caused by the liver disease
• have or have had lung problems such as pneumonitis
• have an autoimmune disease  that needed treatment that reached your whole body in the past 2 years unless it was treatment to replace something that the body makes such as thyroxine or insulin 
• take or have taken drugs that damp down your immune system such as steroids in the past week unless it was a very small dose 
• have an active infection that needs antibiotics that reach your whole body
• have both active hepatitis B and hepatitis C – your doctor can tell you more about this 
• have or have had HIV 
• have active tuberculosis 
• have any other serious medical condition or mental health problem that the trial team think could affect you taking part 
• take an amount of drugs or alcohol that is a concern for your doctor 

Other
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• are pregnant or breastfeeding  
• have had a live vaccine in the last month 
• are sensitive to pembrolizumab or anything it contains