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Active, not recruitingNCT03546686Updated Jul 22, 2026

Peri-Operative Immune Checkpoint Inhibition and Cryoablation in Women With Triple-negative Breast Cancer

A Phase 2 interventional study of Pembrolizumab and Core Biopsy/Cryoablation in Breast Cancer, sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Active, not recruiting at 4 sites in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-22.

Sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
51
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of pre-operative cryoablation, and immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) on on 3-year Event Free Survival (EFS), in women with residual hormone receptor negative, HER2-negative ("triple negative") resectable breast cancer after taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of pre-operative cryoablation, immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) on 3-year Event Free Survival (EFS), in women with triple negative breast cancer after taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our strategy combines two interventions: induced activation and maturation of dendritic cells and tumor-specific T cells by cross-presentation of tumor antigens via local destruction of tumor tissue by cryoablation. Second, we administer Pembrolizumab, an antibody that inhibits lymphocyte programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptors and interferes with PD-1 mediated T-cell regulatory signaling; and was recently US FDA approved as curative-intent standard-of-care treatment for triple negative breast cancer. Women with residual triple negative resectable breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy will be treated with tumor cryoablation and pre-operative immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Women undergoing either mastectomy or breast conserving surgery are eligible.

02

Conditions studied

  • Breast Cancer

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Keywords

  • Hormone Receptor Negative
  • Her2- Negative
  • Resectable Breast Cancer
  • breast cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • Ipilimumab
  • Nivolumab
  • Cryoablation
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In context

Breast Neoplasms

12,544 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 2,892 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 51 is below the median of 72 across 9,303 interventional studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.

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Lead sponsor

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 990 studies on the registry; 201 are open to participants now.

Of its 135 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 100 (74%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Women age 18 years or older
  2. Confirmed histologic diagnosis of invasive carcinoma of the breast
  3. Pathology confirmation of invasive carcinoma (reported or requested and pending)
  4. ER, PR and HER2 negative on outside or Cedars Sinai biopsy report, where ER and PR negative are defined as staining present in ≤10% of invasive cancer cells by IHC, and HER2-negative is defined as IHC 0-1+ or FISH \<2.0. If ER, PR and HER2 status are not reported the results must be requested and pending.
  5. Operable tumor measuring ≥1.0 cm in maximal diameter
  6. Any nodal status allowed, including negative nodal status.
  7. Multifocal and multicentric disease is permitted if all foci have been biopsied and also meet the criteria for TNBC.
  8. Synchronous bilateral invasive breast cancer is permitted if all foci have been biopsied and also meet the criteria for TNBC.
  9. No indication of distant metastases
  10. Total mastectomy or lumpectomy planned
  11. Tumor amenable to cryoablation as determined by a study radiologist
  12. ECOG performance status score of 0 or 1.
  13. Screening laboratory values must meet the following criteria:

    • White blood cells (WBCs) ≥ 2000/μL
    • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/μL
    • Platelets ≥ 100 x 103/μL ii. Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL iii. Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 40 mL/min (if using the Cockcroft-Gault formula below): Female CrCl = (140 - age in years) x weight in kg x 0.85 72 x serum creatinine in mg/dL
    • AST/ALT ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
    • Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (except subjects with Gilbert's syndrome, who must have total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dL)
  14. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must use appropriate method(s) of contraception. WOCBP should use an adequate method to avoid pregnancy for 23 weeks (30 days plus the time required for nivolumab and, ipilimumab, and pembrolizumab to undergo five half-lives) after the last dose of investigational drug.
  15. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of HCG). Women must not be breastfeeding
  16. Willing to adhere to the study visit schedule and the prohibitions and restrictions specified in this protocol.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medical history and concurrent diseases

    1. Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs). Note: Replacement therapy (eg, thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.
    2. Any underlying medical or psychiatric condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, will make the administration of study drug hazardous or obscure the interpretation of AEs, such as a condition associated with frequent or poorly controlled diarrhea.
    3. A history of invasive malignancy ≤5 years prior to signing informed consent except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, or in situ cervical cancer, or ovarian cancer.
    4. Has known active hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
  • Prohibited Treatments and/or Therapies

    1. Chronic use of immunosuppressants and/or systemic corticosteroids (used in the management of cancer or non-cancer-related illnesses). Brief periods of steroid use, for example for the management of chemotherapy-associated toxicities, are allowed. The use of corticosteroids on study is allowed for the treatment of immune related adverse events (irAEs) and other medical conditions including adrenal insufficiency.
    2. Any non-oncology live vaccine therapy used for prevention of infectious diseases within 3 weeks prior to first dose of ICI.
    3. Prior investigational agents within 3 weeks prior to ICI administration
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
51 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Treatment Arm

    Pembrolizumab + Core Biopsy/Cryoablation + Breast Surgery +Post Surgery pembrolizumab OR Ipilimumab and Nivolumab + Core Biopsy/Cryoablation + Breast Surgery +Post Surgery Nivolumab

    Drug: Pembrolizumab · Procedure: Core Biopsy/Cryoablation · Procedure: Breast Surgery · Drug: Ipilimumab · Drug: Nivolumab

Interventions

  • DrugPembrolizumab

    Pembro will be administered 1-20 days before the cryoablation date per SOC and q3 weeks after surgery for 9 cycles per SOC.

  • ProcedureCore Biopsy/Cryoablation

    US-guided core biopsy and cryoablation 7-10 days prior to surgery.

  • ProcedureBreast Surgery

    Standard-of-care definitive surgery.

  • DrugIpilimumab

    ipilimumab 1mg/Kg IV is administered 1-5 days prior to cryoablation.

  • DrugNivolumab

    nivolumab 240mg IV flat dose is administered 1-5 days prior to cryoablation and 240mg IV every 2 weeks ± 3 days starting 3 (+/-1) weeks after surgery.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Event-Free Survival

    * Time (in months) between randomization and first occurrence of progression of disease that precludes surgery * Time (in months) between randomization and first occurrence local or distant disease recurrence * Time (in months) between randomization and date of death attributable to any cause including breast cancer, non-breast cancer, or unknown cause

    Time frame: 36 Months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Invasive Disease-Free Survival

    * Time (in months) between randomization and ipsilateral invasive breast tumor recurrence (i.e. an invasive breast cancer involving the same breast parenchyma as the original primary lesion); or * Time (in months) between randomization and ipsilateral local-regional invasive breast cancer (i.e. an invasive breast cancer in the axilla, regional lymph nodes, chest wall and/or skin of the ipsilateral breast); or * Time (in months) between randomization and distant recurrence (i.e. evidence of breast cancer in any anatomic site - other than the two abovementioned sites - that has either been histologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed as recurrent invasive breast cancer); or * Time (in months) between randomization and contralateral invasive breast cancer; or * Time (in months) between randomization and second primary non-breast invasive cancer; or * Time (in months) between randomization and date of death

    Time frame: 36 Months

  2. Distant Disease-Free Survival

    -Time (in months) between randomization and the date of the first occurrence of distant recurrence (i.e. evidence of breast cancer in any anatomic site - other than local regional sites - that has either been histologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed as recurrent invasive breast cancer)

    Time frame: 36 Months

  3. Overall Survival

    -Time (in months) between randomization and death attributable to any cause. Patients who are alive, including lost to follow-up, at the time of the analysis will be censored at the last known alive date.

    Time frame: 36 Months

  4. Overall Safety

    Number of related adverse events based on CTCAE v.5.0

    Time frame: 36 Months

07

Study locations

4 sites
  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California 90048, United States
  • Ohio State University Medical Center
    Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
  • Providence Cancer Institute
    Portland, Oregon 97213, United States
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center
    Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 22, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03546686
Lead sponsor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Collaborators
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boston Scientific Corporation, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Responsible party
Heather McArthur (Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 6, 2018
Start date
Nov 12, 2019
Primary completion
Jun 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 22, 2026

Study contacts

Heather McArthur, MD
principal investigator · University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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