Clinical trial NCT06064097: A Study Using Nivolumab, in Combination With Chemotherapy Drugs to Treat Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)
Official title: A Phase 2 Study Using Chemoimmunotherapy With Gemcitabine, Cisplatin and Nivolumab in Newly Diagnosed Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v8
Stage III Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v8
Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v8
Lead sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2023-10-03
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Maximum age (years): 21
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This phase II trial tests effects of nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy drugs prior to radiation therapy patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 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 gemcitabine and cisplatin, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Researchers want to find out what effects, good and/or bad, adding nivolumab to chemotherapy has on patients with newly diagnosed NPC. In addition, they want to find out if children with NPC may be treated with less radiation therapy and whether this decreases the side effects of therapy.

Detailed description: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate safety of combining chemotherapy (cisplatin and gemcitabine) with an anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (nivolumab) in children, adolescents and young adults with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by determining the rate of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 3 or higher immune related adverse events (irAEs).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To estimate the 2-year event-free survival (EFS) of children, adolescents and young adults with NPC who are treated with induction chemoimmunotherapy (CIT), followed by consolidation chemoradioimmunotherapy (CRIT, cisplatin, nivolumab and response-adjusted, dose de-escalated radiation therapy), and nivolumab maintenance therapy.

II. To evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) including complete responders and partial responders (complete response \[CR\] + partial response \[PR\]) of neoadjuvant CIT.

III. To evaluate feasibility of combining chemotherapy (cisplatin and gemcitabine) with an anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (nivolumab) in children, adolescents and young adults with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

IV. To evaluate the cumulative incidence of local and distant relapse.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. To estimate 5-year EFS and overall survival (OS) of children with NPC who are treated with induction CIT followed by consolidation CRIT, and nivolumab maintenance therapy.

II. To compare response assessed by fludeoxyglucose F18 (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

III. To determine treatment outcomes for patients treated with radiation per protocol versus (vs) deviation.

IV. To evaluate outcomes comparing patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to proton therapy.

V. To objectively measure both acute and long-term toxicity including immune related adverse events and radiation late effects.

VI. To evaluate swallowing dysfunction using patient reported outcome (PRO) measures for children and adults throughout the protocol for up to 5 years.

VII. To evaluate quality of life (QOL) using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) multidimensional questionnaire throughout the protocol for up to 5 years.

VIII. To correlate the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio on complete blood counts (CBCs) with treatment response and outcomes.

IX. To collect and bank specimens (including tumor, blood and stool) for future research studies.

OUTLINE:

INDUCTION THERAPY: Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle, gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8 of each cycle, and cisplatin IV over 3-6 hours on day 1 of each cycle. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

CONSOLIDATION THERAPY: Patients receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle and cisplatin IV over 3-6 hours on day 1 of cycles 1-2. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive concurrent radiation therapy on trial.

MAINTENANCE THERAPY: Patients receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients also undergo echocardiography (ECHO) or multigated acquisition scan (MUGA) during screening and as clinically indicated on trial. Patients undergo MRI, FDG PET, and computed tomography (CT) throughout the trial and chest x-ray during follow-up. Patients also undergo dental x-ray imaging on the trial. Patients may optionally undergo tissue biopsy, blood and stool sample collection during screening and on trial.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 12 months, every 6 months until 24 months off therapy, and then yearly until 5 years off therapy.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must be ≤ 21 years of age at the time of study enrollment
* Newly diagnosed American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage II-IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)

  * Patients must have had histologic verification of the malignancy at original diagnosis
  * Although submission of tumor tissue for the molecular characterization initiative is not required for eligibility, it is strongly recommended
* Patients must have had histologic verification of the malignancy at original diagnosis
* Although submission of tumor tissue for the molecular characterization initiative is not required for eligibility, it is strongly recommended
* Patients must have a Lansky (for patients ≤ 16 years of age) or Karnofsky (for patients \> 16 years of age) performance status score of ≥ 60%
* Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1000/uL (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy)
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/uL (transfusion independent) (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy)
* Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 or (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy)
* A serum creatinine based on age/gender (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy) Age: Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL)

  1 month to \< 6 months: 0.4 mg/dL (male); 0.4 mg/dL (female) 6 months to \< 1 year: 0.5 mg/dL (male); 0.5 mg/dL (female)

  1 to \< 2 years: 0.6 mg/dL (male); 0.6 mg/dL (female) 2 to \< 6 years: 0.8 mg/dL (male); 0.8 mg/dL (female) 6 to \< 10 years 1 mg/dL (male); 1 mg/dL (female) 10 to \<13 years: 1.2 mg/dL (male); 1.2 mg/dL (female) 13 to \< 16 years: 1.5 mg/dL (male); 1.4 mg/dL (female)

  ≥ 16 years: 1.7 mg/dL (male); 1.4 mg/dL (female)
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age, and (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy)
* Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) (alanine aminotransferase \[ALT\]) ≤ 135 U/L\* (within 7 days prior to start of protocol therapy)

  * Note: For the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT (ALT) has been set to the value of 45 U/L
* Shortening fraction of ≥ 27% by echocardiogram, or
* Ejection fraction of ≥ 50% by radionuclide angiogram
* No evidence of dyspnea at rest, no exercise intolerance, and a pulse oximetry \> 94% if there is clinical indication for determination
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months and T-cell count above the lower limit of normal are eligible for this trial
* For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated. 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

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who received prior radiotherapy to the head or neck
* Patients who received prior chemotherapy or radiation for the treatment of any cancer in the last 3 years. These patients must also be in remission
* Patients with a diagnosis of immunodeficiency
* Patients with an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease-modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive agents). Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.

  * Note: Patients with well-controlled asthma and no need for systemic steroids for the treatment of asthma in the last 12 months will not be excluded
* Patients with a condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (\> 0.25 mg/kg (10 mg) daily prednisone equivalent) within 14 days or other immunosuppressive medications within 30 days of enrollment. Inhaled or topical steroids, and adrenal replacement steroid doses \> 0.25 mg/kg (10 mg) daily prednisone equivalent, are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease
* Patients with a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis
* Patients with detectable viral load of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or active tuberculosis
* Patients who have undergone solid organ or allogeneic hematopoietic transplant at any time
* Due to risks of fetal and teratogenic adverse events as seen in animal studies, a negative pregnancy test must be obtained in females of childbearing potential, defined as females who are post-menarchal. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required
* Females of childbearing potential that are sexually active must agree to either practice 2 medically accepted highly-effective methods of contraception at the same time or abstain from heterosexual intercourse from the time of signing the informed consent through 5 months after the last dose of nivolumab, 6 months after the last dose of gemcitabine, and 14 months after the last dose of cisplatin, whichever is longer
* Males of childbearing potential that are sexually active must agree to either practice a medically accepted highly-effective methods of contraception or abstain from heterosexual intercourse from the time of signing the informed consent through 3 months after the last dose of gemcitabine, and 11 months after the last dose of cisplatin, whichever is longer
* Lactating females are not eligible unless they have agreed not to breastfeed their infants starting with the first dose of study therapy through 5 months after the last dose of nivolumab
* All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent
* All institutional, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirements for human studies must be met

Primary outcomes:
measure: Incidence of grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events (irAE) during induction chemoimmunotherapy (CIT)
timeFrame: Until the end of consolidation therapy
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Event-free survival (EFS)
timeFrame: From date of enrollment to the earliest occurrence of date of relapse, disease progression, second malignant neoplasm or death due to any cause, assessed at 2 years
measure: Objective response rate
timeFrame: At the end of induction CIT
measure: Feasibility success of the induction regimen
timeFrame: At the end of induction CIT
measure: Cumulative incidence of local or distant relapse
timeFrame: Up to 5 years
Other outcomes:
measure: EFS
timeFrame: At 5 years
measure: Overall survival
timeFrame: From date of enrollment to death due to any cause or date of last follow-up, assessed at 5 years
measure: Proportion of patients who achieve complete response
timeFrame: At the end of induction and maintenance
measure: Protocol deviation related to radiation therapy delivery
timeFrame: Up to 5 years
measure: EFS in patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy with those who receive proton therapy
timeFrame: Up to 5 years
measure: Incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events
timeFrame: Up to 5 years
measure: Swallowing dysfunction
timeFrame: At baseline, during induction prior to start of chemoradioimmunotherapy (CRIT), each cycle throughout CRIT, within 3 months after maintenance and yearly at follow up, up to 5 years
measure: Quality of life
timeFrame: At baseline, during induction prior to start of CRIT, each cycle throughout CRIT, within 3 months after maintenance and yearly at follow up, up to 5 years
measure: Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR)
timeFrame: At baseline, pre-radiation/consolidation, and post-radiation pre-maintenance
Locations:
city: Birmingham
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of Alabama
state: Alabama
city: Little Rock
country: United States
facility: Arkansas Children's Hospital
state: Arkansas
city: Downey
country: United States
facility: Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center
state: California
city: Loma Linda
country: United States
facility: Loma Linda University Medical Center
state: California
city: Madera
country: United States
facility: Valley Children's Hospital
state: California
city: Oakland
country: United States
facility: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
state: California
city: Oakland
country: United States
facility: Kaiser Permanente-Oakland
state: California
city: San Diego
country: United States
facility: Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego
state: California
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: UCSF Medical Center-Mission Bay
state: California
city: Aurora
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital Colorado
state: Colorado
city: Wilmington
country: United States
facility: Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children
state: Delaware
city: Washington
country: United States
facility: Children's National Medical Center
state: District of Columbia
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: University of Florida Health Science Center - Gainesville
state: Florida
city: Jacksonville
country: United States
facility: Nemours Children's Clinic-Jacksonville
state: Florida
city: Miami
country: United States
facility: Nicklaus Children's Hospital
state: Florida
city: Orlando
country: United States
facility: Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
state: Florida
city: Orlando
country: United States
facility: Nemours Children's Hospital
state: Florida
city: Tampa
country: United States
facility: Saint Joseph's Hospital/Children's Hospital-Tampa
state: Florida
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Arthur M Blank Hospital
state: Georgia
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Lurie Children's Hospital-Chicago
state: Illinois
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Riley Hospital for Children
state: Indiana
city: New Orleans
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital New Orleans
state: Louisiana
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
state: Maryland
city: Grand Rapids
country: United States
facility: Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals - Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
state: Michigan
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Mayo Clinic in Rochester
state: Minnesota
city: Jackson
country: United States
facility: University of Mississippi Medical Center
state: Mississippi
city: Kansas City
country: United States
facility: Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics
state: Missouri
city: Saint Louis
country: United States
facility: Washington University School of Medicine
state: Missouri
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital and Medical Center of Omaha
state: Nebraska
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: University of Nebraska Medical Center
state: Nebraska
city: Hackensack
country: United States
facility: Hackensack University Medical Center
state: New Jersey
city: New Brunswick
country: United States
facility: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
state: New Jersey
city: Newark
country: United States
facility: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
state: New Jersey
city: Albany
country: United States
facility: Albany Medical Center
state: New York
city: Fargo
country: United States
facility: Sanford Broadway Medical Center
state: North Dakota
city: Cleveland
country: United States
facility: Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital
state: Ohio
city: Oklahoma City
country: United States
facility: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
state: Oklahoma
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
state: Pennsylvania
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
state: Pennsylvania
city: Columbia
country: United States
facility: Prisma Health Richland Hospital
state: South Carolina
city: Memphis
country: United States
facility: Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital
state: Tennessee
city: Nashville
country: United States
facility: The Children's Hospital at TriStar Centennial
state: Tennessee
city: Nashville
country: United States
facility: Vanderbilt University/Ingram Cancer Center
state: Tennessee
city: Austin
country: United States
facility: Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas
state: Texas
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: UT Southwestern/Simmons Cancer Center-Dallas
state: Texas
city: Fort Worth
country: United States
facility: Cook Children's Medical Center
state: Texas
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: Baylor College of Medicine/Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
state: Texas
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: M D Anderson Cancer Center
state: Texas
city: San Antonio
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of San Antonio
state: Texas
city: Charlottesville
country: United States
facility: University of Virginia Cancer Center
state: Virginia
city: Norfolk
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters
state: Virginia
city: Richmond
country: United States
facility: Virginia Commonwealth University/Massey Cancer Center
state: Virginia
city: Seattle
country: United States
facility: Seattle Children's Hospital
state: Washington
city: Tacoma
country: United States
facility: Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center
state: Washington
city: Montreal
country: Canada
facility: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine
state: Quebec
Study officials:
affiliation: Children's Oncology Group
name: Robyn D Gartrell
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: