
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at pembrolizumab for people who have cancer of unknown primary (CUP).
Cancer of unknown primary means that cancer spread has been found in your body (secondary cancer). But your doctors can't find where the cancer started (the primary cancer).
Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). But sometimes it doesn’t work or the cancer comes back. So doctors are looking for ways to improve treatment. In this trial they are looking at a drug called pembrolizumab.
Pembrolizumab is a type of immunotherapy. It stimulates the body's to fight cancer cells.
Some people in this trial have already had chemotherapy for CUP. And some haven’t and are having pembrolizumab as their first treatment.
The main aims of the trial are to:
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 if all of the following apply. You:
Who can’t take part
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply.
Cancer related
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:
Medical conditions
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:
Other
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:
This is a phase 2 trial. It is taking place in the UK. The researchers need 77 people to join.
Everyone has pembrolizumab. You have treatment as a drip into a vein. You have treatment once every 3 weeks. The treatment takes 30 minutes each time. But you will be at the hospital for longer than this.
You have treatment for as long as it is working and the side effects aren’t too bad.
You stop treatment if your cancer gets worse. The trial doctor will talk to you about other treatment options.
Samples for research
The researchers ask for a sample of your cancer ( that doctors took when you were diagnosed.
They also ask for some extra blood samples. Where possible, you have these at the same time as your routine blood tests.
They plan to use the samples to:
Quality of life
The study team will ask you to fill out a questionnaire before you start treatment and at set times during treatment. The questionnaire asks about side effects and how you’ve been feeling. This is called a quality of life study.
You see a doctor and have some tests before you can take part in the trial. These include:
You have your treatment at the hospital in the outpatient department. You see the trial doctor once every 3 weeks for a check up and blood tests.
You have a CT scan every 3 months until your cancer gets worse.
If you stop treatment but your cancer isn’t worse, you continue to have a CT scan every 2 months.
When you stop treatment you see the trial team 1 month later for a check up.
You continue to see or speak with the trial team every 4 months. This is to check how you are getting on.
The trial team monitor you during treatment and afterwards. Contact your advice line or tell your doctor or nurse if any side effects are bad or not getting better.
Pembrolizumab can affect the immune system. It may cause inflammation in different parts of the body which can cause serious side effects. They could happen during treatment, or some months after treatment has finished. Rarely, these side effects could be life threatening.
If you have any of these side effects, you should tell the doctor or nurse as soon as possible. You should tell them that you are on or have been on an immunotherapy.
The common side effects of pembrolizumab are:
The trial doctor or a member of the trial team talk to you about all the possible side effects of treatment.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Harpreet Wasan
Imperial College London
Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”