Trial results for pembrolizumab in patients with early-stage NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-10-23. The Phase 2 study (NCT03728972) investigated pembrolizumab in untreated patients and reported a 47% complete response rate in those with Stage I/II disease.
Background
The study investigated pembrolizumab for the treatment of early-stage NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL). This condition includes diagnoses such as NK/T-cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx.
Trial design
The study, identified as NCT03728972, was a Phase 2 trial that enrolled 19 participants. It focused on patients with early-stage NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL), specifically those with NK/T-cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity or nasopharynx who had not yet received chemotherapy. The intervention studied was pembrolizumab.
Key results
The trial evaluated the complete response rate of pembrolizumab in untreated early-stage NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL).
- For participants with Early-Stage NK/T-cell Lymphoma/ENKTL (Stage I/II), the complete response rate was 47% (percentage of pts with complete response).
- For participants with Early-Stage NK/T-cell Lymphoma/ENKTL (Stage III/IV), the complete response rate was 25% (percentage of pts with complete response).
What this means
The results suggest that pembrolizumab may induce complete responses in patients with untreated early-stage NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. The observed complete response rate of 47% in Stage I/II disease indicates potential activity for this therapeutic approach in a population that has not yet received chemotherapy. These findings contribute to understanding the role of pembrolizumab in this specific lymphoma subtype.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT03728972, titled "Study of Pembrolizumab in Patients With Early-Stage NK/T-cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type," were posted on 2025-10-23 on clinicaltrials.gov.
