Testing the Addition of an Anti-cancer Immune Therapy Drug (Nivolumab) to the Usual Chemotherapy Treatment (Cisplatin or Carboplatin With Gemcitabine) for Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding nivolumab to the usual chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin with gemcitabine) versus standard chemotherapy alone in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer that has come back (recurrent) or spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving nivolumab with the usual chemotherapy may work better than the standard chemotherapy alone in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To determine if adding nivolumab to platinum-gemcitabine as first-line treatment improves overall survival (OS) for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare patterns of failure (local-regional relapse and distant metastasis) between treatment arms.

II. To determine if adding nivolumab to platinum-gemcitabine as first-line treatment improves the objective tumor response based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1.

III. To determine if adding nivolumab to platinum-gemcitabine as first-line treatment improves progression free survival (PFS) for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic NPC.

IV. To evaluate the toxicity based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v)5.0.

V. To characterize patient-reported symptomatic toxicities measured by Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO)-CTCAE.

VI. To assess the quality of life (QOL), as measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-Core (C)30, between the two arms (primary PRO).

VII. To assess fatigue, as measured by Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), between the two arms (secondary PRO).

VIII. To determine if a subset of patients based on an optimal cutoff point of Programmed Death Receptor Ligand-1 (PD-L1) Combined Positive Score (CPS)/Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) is more likely to benefit in terms of PFS from adding nivolumab to platinum-gemcitabine as first-line treatment.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine if a subset of patients based on an optimal cutoff point of PD-L1 CPS/TPS is more likely to benefit in terms of overall survival (OS) from adding nivolumab to platinum-gemcitabine as first-line treatment.

II. To determine changes in QOL as measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 and in fatigue as measured by MFI-20, between and within arms over time (exploratory PRO).

III. To collect blood and tissue specimens for future translational research.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1, gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes or carboplatin IV over 30-60 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 4 weeks, patients then receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 24 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

ARM II: Patients receive gemcitabine and cisplatin or carboplatin as in Arm I.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 4 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of NPC that has recurred at locoregional and/or distant sites. For locoregional recurrence, the disease must not be amenable to potentially curative surgery or re-irradiation. The following histological types are accepted: (a) Keratinizing - squamous cell carcinoma; (b) Non-keratinizing - undifferentiated or poorly differentiated
* Measurable disease by the RECIST 1.1 criteria. Lesion(s) that have been irradiated previously can be counted as measurable as long as radiological progression has been demonstrated prior to enrollment
* History/physical examination by a medical oncologist or clinical oncologist within 14 days prior to registration
* Zubrod/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1 within 14 days prior to registration
* Contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) of the nasopharynx and neck within 30 days prior to registration
* Contrast enhanced CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis within 30 days prior to registration
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1500 cells/mm\^3 (within 14 days prior to registration)
* Platelets \>= 100,000 cells/mm\^3 (within 14 days prior to registration)
* Hemoglobin \>= 9.0 g/dL (transfusion is accepted. Erythropoietin dependency not accepted) (within 14 days prior to registration)
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) OR direct bilirubin =\< ULN for patients with total bilirubin levels \> 1.5 x ULN. Patients with known Gilbert's syndrome are not excluded (within 14 days prior to registration)
* Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x ULN (=\< 3 x ULN for patients with liver metastases) (within 14 days prior to registration)
* Serum creatinine =\< 1.5 x ULN OR calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl) based on Cockcroft-Gault equation \>= 30 mL/min for patients with serum creatinine levels \> 1.5 x ULN. In this protocol, cisplatin or carboplatin may be used at the discretion of the investigator - except for patients with CrCl between 30-50 mL/min, for whom carboplatin should be used instead of cisplatin (within 14 days prior to registration)
* For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable, and patients must be receiving anti-viral therapy at enrollment. Patients must agree to continue anti-viral therapy throughout the study period as directed by their treating physicians

  * Known positive test for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) indicating acute or chronic infection would make the patient ineligible unless the viral load becomes undetectable on anti-viral therapy
  * Patients who are immune to hepatitis B (anti-Hepatitis B surface antibody positive) are eligible (i.e., patients immunized against hepatitis B)
  * In some centers, hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) is done routinely before chemotherapy for some cancer patients. This is because patients who are HBsAg-negative but positive for anti-HBc should have undetectable HBV viral load at enrollment and receive prophylactic anti-viral therapy throughout the study (American Society of Clinical Oncology 2015 guideline, Hwang 2015). In this protocol, anti-HBc should be performed based on institutional standards
* Patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured. For patients with HCV infection who are currently on treatment they are eligible if they have an undetectable HCV viral load

  * Note: Known positive test for hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA) indicating acute or chronic infection would make the patient ineligible unless the viral load becomes undetectable on suppressive therapy
* For women of childbearing potential (WOCBP), negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 14 days prior to registration. For WOCBP randomized to Arm 1, an additional negative serum or urine pregnancy is required within 24 hours prior to starting nivolumab treatment

  * Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) is defined as any female who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy) or who is not postmenopausal. Menopause is defined clinically as 12 months of amenorrhea in a woman over 45 in the absence of other biological or physiological causes
* Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) and men who are sexually active with WOCBP must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception. Women must use an effective oral contraception and the male partner must use condom) during and after treatment
* The patient or a legally authorized representative must provide written informed consent prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosed with another invasive malignancy (except non-melanomatous skin cancer) unless disease free for more than 3 years. Note: Patients with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ (e.g. breast carcinoma, cervical cancer in situ) who have undergone potentially curative therapy are not excluded
* Any prior systemic anti-cancer agents (including chemotherapy and investigational agents) for the purpose of treating locoregional and/or distant recurrence of NPC
* Patients who have received neoadjuvant (induction) and/or adjuvant chemotherapy for primary NPC with chemotherapy (any drug regimens including those containing platinum and/or gemcitabine) at or within 6 months prior to registration are excluded (counting from the last day of the chemotherapy for the primary NPC, prior to enrolling into the current study). The following subgroups of patients are NOT excluded:

  * Patients who have received neoadjuvant (induction) and/or adjuvant chemotherapy for primary (non-metastatic/non-recurrent) NPC more than 6 months prior to registration, counting from the last day of the chemoradiotherapy for the primary NPC, prior to enrolling into the current study
  * For prior RT with radical intent: Patients who have prior radiotherapy (RT) to the primary and locoregional disease (i.e. non-recurrent disease) with or without concurrent cisplatin or carboplatin monotherapy are not excluded as long as they have not received any neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy within 6 months prior to registration (counting from the last day of the chemotherapy), and that the last RT fraction (with radical intent) has been given more than 3 months prior to registration
  * For RT with palliative intent: Prior radiotherapy (RT) at or within 30 days prior to registration, this includes RT given with palliative intent (with or without concurrent cisplatin or carboplatin alone) to recurrent/ metastatic sites in patients with recurrent/metastatic NPC. The re-irradiated sites must not be the only sites of measurable recurrent disease
  * Prior chemotherapy for cancers other than NPC is allowed as long as the last course of chemotherapy was administered more than 3 years prior to registration and the patient has remained disease-free for more than 3 years
* Prior therapy for any indication, with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell receptor (e.g. CTLA-4, OX-40, CD137)
* History of severe (grade 3-4) hypersensitivity reaction to any monoclonal antibody including nivolumab and/or any of its excipients
* Severe, active co-morbidity defined as follows:

  * Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the last 6 months
  * Myocardial infarction within the last 6 months
  * Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics at the time of registration
  * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days of registration
  * Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects
  * History of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or has current pneumonitis requiring steroids and/or immunosuppressive therapy
  * History of active TB (Bacillus tuberculosis, not known to be multi-drug resistant) as defined by the need to receive systemic treatment within the last 2 years or any known history of multi-drug resistant TB. Note: Patients who had a distant history of treated TB (not known to be multi-drug resistant) at 5 or more years from enrollment and have no current symptoms suggestive of active TB, are not excluded from this study. Note: Testing for prior exposure to TB is not required in this study since TB is endemic in parts of Asia
  * Prior solid organ transplant or bone marrow transplant
  * History of active primary immunodeficiency including, but not limited to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) based upon current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition; Note: Human immunodeficient virus (HIV) testing is not required for entry into this protocol. The need to exclude patients with AIDS from this protocol is necessary because the treatment involved in this protocol may be immunosuppressive
  * Condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 10 mg daily prednisone or equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of registration. Inhaled or topical steroids and adrenal replacement doses \< 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease. Steroid premedication for the prophylaxis of CT contrast-related allergies is allowed. The use of dexamethasone as an anti-emetic premedication prior to chemotherapy is also allowed
  * Active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment (i.e. disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs) within the past 2 years. These include but are not limited to patients with a history of immune-related neurologic disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune (demyelinating) neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis; systemic autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis; and patients with a history of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or phospholipid syndrome should be excluded because of the risk of recurrence or exacerbation of disease
  * Note: Patients are permitted to enroll if they have vitiligo; type I diabetes mellitus; hypothyroidism, pituitary or adrenal insufficiency requiring only hormone replacement; psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger (precipitating event)
* Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding and unwilling to discontinue breastfeeding
* Known history of grade 3-4 allergic reaction and/or hepatic toxicity to cisplatin, carboplatin, or gemcitabine

  * Note: For patients with known history of grade 3-4 renal toxicity to cisplatin or known history of clinically significant hearing loss (grade 2 or above) attributed to cisplatin, or other intolerances to cisplatin that are of clinical significance, carboplatin can be used in this study and therefore these patients are NOT excluded from enrollment
* Known central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis. Patients with base of skull involvement by NPC are not excluded unless their disease is directly invading the brain parenchyma and is associated with clinical symptoms (headaches, nausea and vomiting, neurological abnormalities on physical examination) and/or cerebral edema on radiological imaging
* Patients who have received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study treatment. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster, 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) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed
* History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the study, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the study, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator