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Preoperative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor for Patients With Primary Untreated or Recurrent/Metastatic SCCHN

Preoperative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Patients With Primary Untreated or Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (RM-SCCHN)

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03878979
Enrollment
26
Registered
2019-03-18
Start date
2019-07-08
Completion date
2023-10-17
Last updated
2024-11-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer Metastatic, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Brief summary

Nivolumab, also known as (Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)) BMS-936558, before surgery to people with newly diagnosed or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN).

Detailed description

This research is being done to see if it is safe and feasible to give the investigational drugs, nivolumab (also known as BMS-936558) before surgery to people with newly diagnosed or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). Patients with recurrent disease may have a limited number of sites of metastatic (spread) squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. Another goal of this study is to learn how nivolumab impacts the immune system's ability to treat the cancer. While nivolumab is approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with metastatic SCCHN with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy, the word investigational in this context means that the study drugs are not approved by the FDA for the treatment of head and neck cancers prior to surgery and thus is still being tested in research studies. However, the FDA is allowing the use of nivolumab in this study. This study will have two arms. Cohort (arm) 1 will examine one dose of nivolumab given about 4 weeks before surgical resection (removal) of a newly diagnosed SCCHN. Twelve patients will be enrolled to this arm. Cohort 2 will examine one dose of nivolumab given about 4 weeks before surgical resection (removal) of SCCHN which has recurred and possibly spread to distant sites, but still can be resected with one surgery. Twelve patients will be enrolled to this arm.

Interventions

DRUGNivolumab 480mg and surgical resection

One dose of Nivolumab 480mg given four weeks prior to surgical resection.

Sponsors

Bristol-Myers Squibb
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

The study will accrue to 2 cohorts, each of which consists of about 12 patients. If enrollment on 1 cohort is significantly faster, the lesser enrolling cohort number of patients may be decreased in favor of the better enrolling cohort to keep the total number of evaluable patients at 24 patients.Total of 24 patients will be accrued to the study.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion: Cohort 1: Subjects must have histologically confirmed previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck which is amenable to surgical resection as part of standard of care. Cohort 2: Subjects must have histologically confirmed recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, which is amenable for salvage surgery. Sites of recurrence may either be locoregional or distant if resection can be done ideally in one surgical field. * The primary site should be a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (including, but not limited to oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx, paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity). Squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary, diagnosed in lymph nodes in neck, can be included but should be tested for p16 and confirmed specific assay. * Subjects with oropharyngeal primary tumors must have confirmation of human papillomavirus (HPV) tumor status per clinical standards, although not necessary at enrollment. * Subjects must have been determined to be candidates for surgical resection by a multidisciplinary team including a surgeon, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. * Subjects must have at least one lesion that can be biopsied at baseline. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 to 1. * Age \>18 years. * Life expectancy of greater than 6 months. * Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below: * leukocytes ≥ 1,500/ microliter (mcL) * absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mcL * platelets ≥ 100,000/mcL * total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal (except subjects with Gilbert syndrome, who can have total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dL) * aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (SGOT) / alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (SGPT) ≤ 3 X institutional upper limit of normal * Creatinine OR creatinine clearance within normal institutional limits OR ≥ 40 mL/min (using modified Cockcroft-Gault formula) for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal. * Resting and walking O2 saturation must remain above 90% at the time of screening * Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of HCG) within 24 hours prior to the start of study treatment. * Women must not be breastfeeding * Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must agree to follow instructions for method(s) of contraception for the duration of treatment with study treatment and for 5 months post-treatment completion. Women should use an adequate method(s) of contraception (Refer to nivolumab Investigator's Brochure (IB) for WOCBP and methods of contraception to be provided) * Males who are sexually active with WOCBP must agree to follow instructions for method(s) of contraception (Refer to protocol appendix E) for the duration of treatment with study treatment(s) and 7 months post-treatment completion. In addition, male participants must be willing to refrain from sperm donation during this time. Men who are sexually active with WOCBP must agree to follow instructions for method(s) of contraception * Patient understands the study regimen, its requirements, risks and discomforts and is able and willing to sign the informed consent form. Voluntary signed and dated Institutional Review Board (IRB) / Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) approved written informed consent form in accordance with regulatory and institutional guidelines must be obtained before the performance of any protocol related procedures that are not part of normal patient care. Subjects must be competent to report adverse events (AEs), understand the drug dosing schedule and use of medications to control AEs. * Measurable disease - either radiologically (per RECIST) or clinically measurable on exam in order to assess treatment response.

Exclusion criteria

* Any active history of a known autoimmune disease. Subjects with vitiligo, type 1 diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism requiring hormone replacement, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger are permitted to enroll. * Patients who have had prior chemotherapy for newly diagnosed (cohort 1) or recurrent (cohort 2) head and neck cancer. In cohort 2 only, previous perioperative chemotherapy or chemoradiation for the management of localized or locally advanced disease permitted. * Patients who had prior surgical resection of distant metastasis (metastasectomy) within 3 months of enrollment. * Patients who received prior therapy with anti-programmed death (PD) 1 (anti-PD-1), anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, cluster of differentiation (CD)137 (CD137), anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated (CTLA) protein 4 (anti-CTLA-4) (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4) antibody therapies, any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways. Any live / attenuated vaccine (eg varicella, zoster, yellow fever, rotavirus, oral polio and measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)) during treatment and until 100 days post last dose. * Patients with uncontrolled brain metastases * Patients with brain metastases must have stable neurologic status following local therapy (surgery or radiation) for at least 2 weeks without the use of steroids or on stable or decreasing dose of \< 10mg daily prednisone (or equivalent), and must be without neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events. Patients with a history of carcinomatous meningitis are not eligible. * Patients who have an active concurrent malignancy that is not controlled/cured and could impact life expectancy within the next 3 years. E.g. patients with localized cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma or treated prostate cancer with no evidence of disease progression may be allowed to enroll after review by the study team. * Uncontrolled inter-current illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, administration of live vaccination in the prior 3 months, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial infarction or new onset angina within six months of enrollment, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements. * Women who are pregnant or nursing. * Men with female partners who are not willing to use contraception. * Active infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. * Patients with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\>10 mg daily prednisone equivalent) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of randomization. Inhaled or topical steroids and adrenal replacement steroid doses \< 10 mg daily prednisone equivalent, are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease. * Patients Epstein-Barr virus + (EBV+) with nasopharynx carcinoma * Patient with HIV are excluded given the unknown risk of interaction with HAART and the unknown benefit of immunotherapy in this population. * Participants who have received a live / attenuated vaccine within 30 days of first treatment.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Safety as Measured by Number of Participants With Drug-related Adverse EventsUp to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery, whichever is longer (up to 100 days per participant)Safety of neoadjuvant nivolumab administration in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer and those with locoregional recurrence or oligometastatic disease undergoing surgical resection measured by number of participants with drug related adverse events as defined by CTCAE v5.0, occurring up to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery (whichever is longer)
Feasibility as Measured by Number of Participants With Successful Completion of Preoperative Treatment and no Extended Treatment-related DelaysUp to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery (whichever is longer per participant)Feasibility of neoadjuvant nivolumab administration in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer and those with locoregional recurrence or oligometastatic disease undergoing surgical resection, measured by number of participants with successful completion of preoperative treatment and proceeding to surgery without any extended treatment related delays more than \> 28 days from pre-planned day 0.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Major Pathologic Response RateDay 0 (Surgery)Number of participants with \< 10% residual tumor in the resection specimen.
Progression Free Survival (PFS)up to 3 yearsNumber of months until radiologic or clinical progression or death, whichever occurs first.
Radiographic Response Rateup to 4 weeks after the last dose of nivolumabNumber of participants with response as determined by RECIST version 1.1 and immune-related response criteria (irRC). Per RECIST criteria, Complete response (CR) is a disappearance of all target lesions, Partial response (PR) is \>= 30% decrease in the sum of the largest diameter (LD) of target lesions, Progressive disease (PD) is \>= 20% increase in the sum of the LD of target lesions. Per irRC, immune-related Complete Response (irCR) is the disappearance of all lesions, measured or unmeasured, and no new lesions; an immune-related Partial Response (irPR) is a 50% drop in tumour burden from baseline as defined by the irRC; and immune-related Progressive Disease (irPD) is a 25% increase in tumour burden from the lowest level recorded.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Newly Diagnosed SCCHN
One dose of nivolumab given about 4 weeks before surgical resection (removal) of a newly diagnosed SCCHN. Nivolumab 480mg and surgical resection: One dose of Nivolumab 480mg given four weeks prior to surgical resection.
20
Reccurence of SCCHN
One dose of nivolumab given about 4 weeks before surgical resection (removal) of SCCHN which has recurred. Nivolumab 480mg and surgical resection: One dose of Nivolumab 480mg given four weeks prior to surgical resection.
6
Total26

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicNewly Diagnosed SCCHNReccurence of SCCHNTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
13 Participants2 Participants15 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
7 Participants4 Participants11 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
4 Participants0 Participants4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
16 Participants4 Participants20 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
20 Participants6 Participants26 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
7 Participants1 Participants8 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
13 Participants5 Participants18 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
4 / 201 / 6
other
Total, other adverse events
20 / 206 / 6
serious
Total, serious adverse events
5 / 200 / 6

Outcome results

Primary

Feasibility as Measured by Number of Participants With Successful Completion of Preoperative Treatment and no Extended Treatment-related Delays

Feasibility of neoadjuvant nivolumab administration in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer and those with locoregional recurrence or oligometastatic disease undergoing surgical resection, measured by number of participants with successful completion of preoperative treatment and proceeding to surgery without any extended treatment related delays more than \> 28 days from pre-planned day 0.

Time frame: Up to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery (whichever is longer per participant)

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNFeasibility as Measured by Number of Participants With Successful Completion of Preoperative Treatment and no Extended Treatment-related Delays20 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNFeasibility as Measured by Number of Participants With Successful Completion of Preoperative Treatment and no Extended Treatment-related Delays6 Participants
Primary

Safety as Measured by Number of Participants With Drug-related Adverse Events

Safety of neoadjuvant nivolumab administration in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer and those with locoregional recurrence or oligometastatic disease undergoing surgical resection measured by number of participants with drug related adverse events as defined by CTCAE v5.0, occurring up to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery (whichever is longer)

Time frame: Up to 100 days after the last dose of nivolumab or 30 days after surgery, whichever is longer (up to 100 days per participant)

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNSafety as Measured by Number of Participants With Drug-related Adverse Events19 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNSafety as Measured by Number of Participants With Drug-related Adverse Events2 Participants
Secondary

Major Pathologic Response Rate

Number of participants with \< 10% residual tumor in the resection specimen.

Time frame: Day 0 (Surgery)

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNMajor Pathologic Response Rate3 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNMajor Pathologic Response Rate2 Participants
Secondary

Progression Free Survival (PFS)

Number of months until radiologic or clinical progression or death, whichever occurs first.

Time frame: up to 3 years

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNProgression Free Survival (PFS)NA months
Reccurence of SCCHNProgression Free Survival (PFS)23 months
Secondary

Radiographic Response Rate

Number of participants with response as determined by RECIST version 1.1 and immune-related response criteria (irRC). Per RECIST criteria, Complete response (CR) is a disappearance of all target lesions, Partial response (PR) is \>= 30% decrease in the sum of the largest diameter (LD) of target lesions, Progressive disease (PD) is \>= 20% increase in the sum of the LD of target lesions. Per irRC, immune-related Complete Response (irCR) is the disappearance of all lesions, measured or unmeasured, and no new lesions; an immune-related Partial Response (irPR) is a 50% drop in tumour burden from baseline as defined by the irRC; and immune-related Progressive Disease (irPD) is a 25% increase in tumour burden from the lowest level recorded.

Time frame: up to 4 weeks after the last dose of nivolumab

Population: Overall number of participants analyzed for newly diagnosed (15) is different than the number who started in participant flow (20), because 5 patients did not have measurable disease at baseline.~Overall number of participants analyzed for recurrence (5) is different than the number who started in participant flow (6), because 1 patient visit was not done.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNRadiographic Response RateComplete Response (CR)0 Participants
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNRadiographic Response RateProgressive Disease (PD)4 Participants
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNRadiographic Response RateStable Disease (SD)9 Participants
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNRadiographic Response RateNot evaluable1 Participants
Newly Diagnosed SCCHNRadiographic Response RatePartial Response (PR)1 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNRadiographic Response RateNot evaluable0 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNRadiographic Response RatePartial Response (PR)1 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNRadiographic Response RateComplete Response (CR)0 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNRadiographic Response RateStable Disease (SD)2 Participants
Reccurence of SCCHNRadiographic Response RateProgressive Disease (PD)2 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026