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RECRUITING

NCT04671667

PHASE2

Testing What Happens When an Immunotherapy Drug (Pembrolizumab) is Given by Itself Compared to the Usual Treatment of Chemotherapy With Radiation After Surgery for Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

This phase II trial studies the effect of pembrolizumab alone compared to the usual approach (chemotherapy \[cisplatin and carboplatin\] plus radiation therapy) after surgery in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has come back (recurrent) or patients with a second head and neck cancer that is not from metastasis (primary). Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation or protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Carboplatin is also in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving pembrolizumab alone after surgery may work better than the usual approach in shrinking recurrent or primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Official title: A Phase II Randomized Trial of Adjuvant Therapy With Pembrolizumab After Resection of Recurrent/Second Primary Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma With High Risk Features

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

18 Years - 79 Years

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

188

Start Date

2021-04-27

Completion Date

2029-06-30

Last Updated

2026-10-21

Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Recurrent Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Recurrent Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Recurrent Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Recurrent Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Interventions

DRUG

Carboplatin

Given IV

DRUG

Cisplatin

Given IV

PROCEDURE

Computed Tomography

Undergo CT

RADIATION

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy

Undergo IMRT

PROCEDURE

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Undergo MRI

BIOLOGICAL

Pembrolizumab

Given IV

RADIATION

Proton Beam Radiation Therapy

Undergo PBRT

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient must be between 18 and 79 years of age * Patient must have locoregionally recurrent or second primary HNSCC (oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx) in a previously radiated field * Patient must have undergone surgery with gross total resection and must be randomized within 8 weeks of surgery * Patients must have high risk disease defined as: * Positive margins and/or extra nodal extension (ENE) * Positive margins are defined as malignancy at or within 1 mm of the margin. High grade dysplasia (i.e. carcinoma in situ) at the margin is also considered positive * ENE may be either gross or microscopic * Patient must have a PD-L1 Combined Positive Score (CPS) \>= 1 in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) certified laboratory. Testing can be done locally as long as it is done in a CLIA certified laboratory. This testing must be on the tumor specimen from the resection of the patient's recurrent or second primary HNSCC * Patient must have had prior radiation to the area of recurrent or second primary tumor. This is defined as \> 50% of the presurgical tumor volume having previously received a dose of \> 45 Gy as determined by the treating radiation oncologist * Patient must have completed prior radiation a minimum of 6 months prior to randomization * Patient must not have any evidence of distant disease based on baseline imaging done within 28 days prior to randomization * Patient must not have received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy for recurrent disease. If the patient received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy as part of initial upfront curative intent treatment (either as part of definitive non-surgical therapy or in the adjuvant setting) in the past, the last dosage of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy must have been given greater than one year prior to randomization * Patient must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 * Patient must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Patients with impaired decision-making capacity (IDMC) who have a legally authorized representative (LAR) or caregiver and/or family member available will also be considered eligible * Patient must not be pregnant or breast-feeding due to the potential harm to an unborn fetus and possible risk for adverse events in nursing infants with the treatment regimens being used. All patients of childbearing potential must have a blood test or urine study within 14 days prior to randomization to rule out pregnancy. A urine or serum pregnancy test must be repeated within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of pembrolizumab or chemotherapy if the test done for eligibility/randomization is done outside of this 72 hour window. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required. A patient of childbearing potential is someone, regardless of whether they have undergone tubal ligation, who meets the following criteria: 1) has achieved menarche at some point, 2) has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or 3) has not been naturally postmenopausal (amenorrhea following cancer therapy does not rule out childbearing potential) for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 24 consecutive months) * Patient must not expect to conceive or father children by using by using accepted and effective method(s) of contraception or by abstaining from sexual intercourse while on study treatment, and continue for 120 days after the last dose of study treatment * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,500/mcL (obtained =\< 28 days prior to protocol randomization) * Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL (obtained =\< 28 days prior to protocol randomization) * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (obtained =\< 28 days prior to protocol randomization) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 3.0 x institutional ULN (obtained =\< 28 days prior to protocol randomization) * Creatinine clearance \> 30 ml/min using the Cockcroft-Gault formula (obtained =\< 28 days prior to protocol randomization) * Patient must not have a current active infection that requires systemic treatment at time of randomization * Patient must not have a history of non-infectious pneumonitis requiring steroids within 3 years prior to randomization * Patient must not have a history of solid organ transplant or stem cell transplant * Patient must not be on immunosuppressive medication within 7 days prior to randomization, EXCEPT for the following: a) intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injection (e.g., intra-articular injection); b) systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses =\< 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent; c) steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., CT scan premedication) * Patients with known history or current symptoms of cardiac disease, or history of treatment with cardiotoxic agents, should have a clinical risk assessment of cardiac function using the New York Heart Association Functional classification. Patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure are not eligible * Patient must not have received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study drug. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist \[registered trademark\]) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed * Patient must not have severe hypersensitivity (\>= grade 3) to pembrolizumab and/or any of its excipients * Patient must not have an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment and is allowed * Patient must not have a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with the participant's ability to cooperate with the requirements of the study * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial as long as they have not been HIV-infected with a history of Kaposi sarcoma and/or multicentric Castleman disease * Patient must not have a known history of hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] reactive) or known active hepatitis C virus (defined as HCV ribonucleic acid \[RNA\] \[qualitative\] is detected) infection * NOTE: No testing for hepatitis B and hepatitis C is required unless mandated by a local health authority

Locations (178)

University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Kaiser Permanente-Anaheim

Anaheim, California, United States

Kaiser Permanente-Bellflower

Bellflower, California, United States

UCI Health - Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care

Irvine, California, United States

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

La Jolla, California, United States

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, United States

Kaiser Permanente-Ontario

Ontario, California, United States

UC Irvine Health/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Orange, California, United States

Sutter Cancer Centers Radiation Oncology Services-Roseville

Roseville, California, United States

Sutter Roseville Medical Center

Roseville, California, United States

California Protons Cancer Therapy Center

San Diego, California, United States

Smilow Cancer Center/Yale-New Haven Hospital

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center-Trumbull

Trumbull, Connecticut, United States

Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center - Waterford

Waterford, Connecticut, United States

MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Coral Gables

Coral Gables, Florida, United States

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Deerfield Beach

Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States

UF Health Cancer Institute - Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida, United States

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Cancer Center

Miami, Florida, United States

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Plantation

Plantation, Florida, United States

Moffitt Cancer Center-International Plaza

Tampa, Florida, United States

Moffitt Cancer Center - McKinley Campus

Tampa, Florida, United States

Moffitt Cancer Center

Tampa, Florida, United States

Moffitt Cancer Center at Wesley Chapel

Wesley Chapel, Florida, United States

Emory Proton Therapy Center

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Emory University Hospital Midtown

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Emory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Memorial Health University Medical Center

Savannah, Georgia, United States

Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, United States

John H Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County

Chicago, Illinois, United States

University of Illinois

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Carle at The Riverfront

Danville, Illinois, United States

Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois - Decatur

Decatur, Illinois, United States

Decatur Memorial Hospital

Decatur, Illinois, United States

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Kishwaukee

DeKalb, Illinois, United States

Carle Physician Group-Effingham

Effingham, Illinois, United States

Crossroads Cancer Center

Effingham, Illinois, United States

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor

Geneva, Illinois, United States

Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital

Lake Forest, Illinois, United States

Carle Physician Group-Mattoon/Charleston

Mattoon, Illinois, United States

Loyola University Medical Center

Maywood, Illinois, United States

HSHS Saint Elizabeth's Hospital

O'Fallon, Illinois, United States

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Springfield Clinic

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Springfield Memorial Hospital

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Carle Cancer Center

Urbana, Illinois, United States

The Carle Foundation Hospital

Urbana, Illinois, United States

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville

Warrenville, Illinois, United States

Reid Health

Richmond, Indiana, United States

UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Ankeny Clinic

Ankeny, Iowa, United States

UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - West Des Moines Clinic

Clive, Iowa, United States

Heartland Oncology and Hematology LLP

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States

Iowa Methodist Medical Center

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Des Moines Clinic

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Broadlawns Medical Center

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Laurel Clinic

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Iowa Lutheran Hospital

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Waukee Clinic

Waukee, Iowa, United States

Methodist West Hospital

West Des Moines, Iowa, United States

University of Kansas Cancer Center

Kansas City, Kansas, United States

University of Kansas Cancer Center-Overland Park

Overland Park, Kansas, United States

University of Kansas Hospital-Indian Creek Campus

Overland Park, Kansas, United States

University of Kansas Hospital-Westwood Cancer Center

Westwood, Kansas, United States

University of Kentucky/Markey Cancer Center

Lexington, Kentucky, United States

The James Graham Brown Cancer Center at University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

UofL Health Medical Center Northeast

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Maryland Proton Treatment Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of Maryland/Greenebaum Cancer Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Central Maryland Radiation Oncology in Howard County

Columbia, Maryland, United States

UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center/Tate Cancer Center

Glen Burnie, Maryland, United States

Tufts Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Wayne State University/Karmanos Cancer Institute

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center

Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States

Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center

Bemidji, Minnesota, United States

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Saint Francis Medical Center

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States

Siteman Cancer Center at Saint Peters Hospital

City of Saint Peters, Missouri, United States

Siteman Cancer Center at West County Hospital

Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States

University of Kansas Cancer Center - North

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

University of Kansas Cancer Center - Lee's Summit

Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States

University of Kansas Cancer Center at North Kansas City Hospital

North Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Mercy Hospital Springfield

Springfield, Missouri, United States

Washington University School of Medicine