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Study of Radiotherapy and Pembrolizumab in in People With Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Trial Status: active

This phase II trial studies the side effects of ablative intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and pembrolizumab and how well they work in treating patients with adrenal cortical cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Ablative IMRT stops the growth of cancer by directly killing the tumor cells. It is a type of 3-dimensional radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to show the size and shape of a tumor. IMRT delivers radiation directly to tumor cells from different angles by changing the radiation beam into multiple smaller beams. By targeting the tumor, IMRT reduces radiation damage to healthy tissue. Pembrolizumab is an antibody, like the proteins made by the immune system to protect the body from harm. Pembrolizumab blocks the protein PD 1 (programmed cell death receptor 1) that usually acts as a “brake” on the immune system. Blocking this protein is like releasing the brakes, so that the immune system can target tumor cells and destroy them. Information gained from this trial may allow researchers to determine whether ablative IMRT and pembrolizumab is safe and effective for treating patients with metastatic adrenal cortical cancer.