Direct injection of a low dose of the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab into precancerous oral lesions significantly reduced lesion size and risk of cancer progression, sparing most patients from surgery.

Injecting nivolumab (Opdivo) directly into precancerous oral lesions led to reduction in lesion size and allowed some patients to avoid surgery, according to research from a phase I clinical trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.