Nivolumab in Treating Patients With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Stage III Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v7
Stage IVC Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v7
Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v7
Recurrent Nasopharynx Carcinoma
Stage IVB Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v7
Nasopharyngeal Nonkeratinizing Carcinoma
Stage IVA Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma AJCC v7

Interventions: Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis
Biological: Nivolumab

Registration Number: NCT02339558

Lead Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Brief Summary: This phase II trial studies how well nivolumab works in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer that has returned after a period of improvement (recurrent) and/or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may block tumor growth in different ways by targeting certain cells.

Detailed Description: PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Objective tumor response to nivolumab in patients with previously treated recurrent and/or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria version 1.1.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Tumor response to nivolumab based on immune-related response criteria (IRC). II. Duration of response. III. Progression-free survival and overall survival. IV. Safety and tolerability.

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To investigate the effect of nivolumab on tumor burden by analyzing the clearance of plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during the first 4-6 weeks of treatment.

II. To investigate the association between treatment outcome and immunological markers: a) Intratumoral expression of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand (PD-L1) in archived NPC tissues (mandatory); b) Serum absolute lymphocyte count at baseline and post-treatment (mandatory); and c) Plasma cytokine levels at baseline and serially during the first 8 weeks of treatment; d) Expression of PD-1 in cluster of differentiation (CD)8+ T cells in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) at baseline (optional).

III. To investigate functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences as an early predictor of response to nivolumab (optional only at Chinese University of Hong Kong \[CUHK\]).

OUTLINE:

Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over approximately 60 minutes on days 1 and 15. Courses repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 3 years.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 45

Inclusion Criteria

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) that has recurred at locoregional and/or distant sites; NOTE: patients with local recurrence at the bony skull-base as the only site of index disease are excluded; patients with locoregional recurrence without distant metastases must have undergone radical radiotherapy previously
Measurable disease according to the RECIST criteria (version 1.1), for the evaluation of measurable disease
Received one or more lines of chemotherapy, which must include prior treatment with a platinum agent and must not be amenable to potentially curative radiotherapy or surgery
Archived or fresh tumor sample available; willingness to donate blood and tissue for mandatory correlative research studies
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, 1 or 2
Absolute neutrophil count >= 1.5 x 10^9/L
Platelet count >= 100 x 10^9/L
Hemoglobin >= 8.0 g/dL
Serum alanine aminotransferase ([ALT]; serum glutamate-pyruvate transferase [SGPT]), or serum aspartate aminotransferase [AST] where available at the center) < 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), OR < 5 x ULN in the presence of liver metastases
Serum total bilirubin < 2 x ULN (except patients with Gilbert syndrome, who can have total bilirubin < 3.0 mg/dL)
Serum creatinine < 1.5 x ULN

Exclusion Criteria

Any of the following:
- Chemotherapy =< 4 weeks prior to registration
- Radiotherapy =< 4 weeks prior to registration
- Nitrosoureas =< 6 weeks prior to registration or
- Mitomycin C =< 6 weeks prior to registration
- Those who have not recovered from adverse events (to grade =< 1 in severity) due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier; prior palliative radiotherapy to bone metastases =< 2 weeks prior to registration (i.e. prior palliative radiotherapy to bone metastases is allowed if it is performed > 2 weeks prior to registration)
Prior investigational agents =< 4 weeks prior to registration
Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) antibody, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or immune checkpoint pathways
Known brain metastases or leptomeningeal metastases; NOTE: symptomatic, and/or if they require immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids (e.g. > 10 mg/day prednisone or equivalents) for at least 2 weeks prior to study drug administration; patients with treated brain metastases who are deemed clinically stable and without radiological progression on positron emission tomography (PET), MRI or computed tomography (CT) scan performed =< 8 weeks of study entry, are not excluded; NOTE: primary nasopharyngeal cancers that directly invade the skull base and extend into the infratemporal fossa (e) are not regarded as brain metastases and are not excluded
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to nivolumab
History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to any monoclonal antibody
Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
Any of the following:
- Pregnant women
- Nursing women
- Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception NOTE: breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with nivolumab; women of childbearing potential and men must use two forms of contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; they must adhere to contraception for a period of 31 weeks after the last dose of nivolumab
For patients with unknown human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status at the time of enrollment, HIV serology must be tested during screening; patients who are tested positive for HIV could be included if there is an adequate cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count (> 350/ul) on a stable regimen of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) with no detectable or minimal viral burden, and no active infections
For patients with unknown hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HbsAg) status, must be tested during study screening; patients who are tested positive test for HBsAg are excluded if they have inadequately controlled hepatitis B and/or Child-Pugh Class B or C cirrhosis; however, patients with adequately controlled hepatitis are not excluded from the study if they satisfy all of the following criteria: (i) must be receiving a nucleoside analog anti-viral drug for 3 or more months; and (ii) have a serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) level of less than 100 IU/ml via polymerase chain reaction quantification assays prior to enrollment
For patients with unknown hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV antibody) status, must be tested during study screening; patients who are tested positive for HCV antibody are excluded from the study if they have inadequately controlled hepatitis C and/or Child-Pugh Class B or C cirrhosis; patients with adequately controlled hepatitis are not excluded from the study as defined by having undetectable level of serum HCV antibody level prior to enrollment; patients who are currently on interferon or other anti-HCV therapy will be excluded from study
Active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease that might recur, which may affect vital organ function or require immune suppressive treatment including systemic corticosteroids; NOTE: 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), 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; patients with vitiligo, endocrine deficiencies including thyroiditis managed with replacement hormones including physiologic corticosteroids are eligible; patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthropathies, Sjogren's syndrome and psoriasis controlled with topical medication and patients with positive serology, such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-thyroid antibodies should be evaluated for the presence of target organ involvement and potential need for systemic treatment but should otherwise be eligible
Patients are permitted to enroll if they have vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger (precipitating event)
Condition requiring systemic treatment with either corticosteroids (> 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents) or other immunosuppressive medications within 14 days of study drug administration; inhaled or topical steroids and adrenal replacement doses =< 10 mg daily prednisone equivalents are permitted in the absence of active autoimmune disease; patients are permitted to use topical, ocular, intra-articular, intranasal, and inhalational corticosteroids (with minimal systemic absorption); physiologic replacement doses of systemic corticosteroids are permitted, even if =< 10 mg/day prednisone equivalents; a brief course of corticosteroids for prophylaxis (e.g., contrast dye allergy) or for treatment of non-autoimmune conditions (e.g., delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction caused by contact allergen) is permitted
Evidence of active or acute (i.e. current, or recent within 4 weeks prior to registration) diverticulitis, intra-abdominal abscess, gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction and abdominal carcinomatosis which are known risk factors for bowel perforation; patients with abdominal carcinomatosis, a history of non-recent intra-abdominal abscess, or a history of non-recent GI obstruction should be evaluated for the potential need for additional treatment before coming on study

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Treatment (nivolumab)	Nivolumab	Patients receive nivolumab IV over approximately 60 minutes on days 1 and 15. Courses repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Treatment (nivolumab)	Laboratory Biomarker Analysis	Patients receive nivolumab IV over approximately 60 minutes on days 1 and 15. Courses repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Confirmed Response Rate (Complete Response or Partial Response) Based on RECIST Version 1.1	Up to 3 years	Confirmed response rate is defined as either a Complete Response (CR) or Partial Response (PR) based on RECIST version 1.1. \> To be consider a CR, there must be a disappearance of all target lesions and each target lymph node must have reduction in short axis to \< 1.0 cm.\> \> To be considered a PR, at least a 30% decrease in PBSD (sum of the longest diameter for all target lesions plus the sum of the short axis of all the target lymph nodes at current evaluation) taking as reference the baseline value.\> \> The confirmed response rate is reported as the number of patients reporting a CR or PR divided by the total number of evaluable patients multiplied by 100 (reported as a percentage).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Adverse Events	Up to 3 years on treatment	Adverse events were collected and recorded according to the revised NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. The maximum grade for each type of adverse event will be recorded for each patient, and frequency tables will be reviewed to determine adverse event patterns. For this outcome measure, we summarize the worst graded adverse event regardless of treatment attribution per patient. All reported adverse events are reported in the Adverse Events section of this report.
Tumor Response to Nivolumab Based on the Immune Response Criteria (IRC)	Up to 3 years	The Immune Response Criteria (IRC) is a response criteria derived from the WHO criteria.
Duration of Response	Up to 3 years	Duration of response defined as the date at which the patient's objective status is first noted to be either a CR or PR to the date progression is documented, assessed according to RECIST version 1.1.
Progression-free Survival (PFS) Based on RECIST Version 1.1	Time from registration to the first of either death due to any cause or progression, assessed up to 3 years	Progression Free Survival is defined as the time from registration to the time of death or progression, whichever occurs first. The distribution of PFS will be estimated using the method of Kaplan-Meier.
Overall Survival (OS)	Time from registration to death due to any cause, assessed up to 3 years	Overall survival is defined as the time from registration to the time of death. The distribution of survival time will be estimated using the method of Kaplan-Meier.

Trial Locations

Locations (19): Johns Hopkins Singapore
🇸🇬
Singapore, Singapore
National Cancer Centre
🇸🇬
Singapore, Singapore
USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Los Angeles, California, United States
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Duarte, California, United States
Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
🇺🇸
Los Angeles, California, United States
University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Sacramento, California, United States
City of Hope South Pasadena
🇺🇸
South Pasadena, California, United States
Northwestern University
🇺🇸
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Moffitt Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Tampa, Florida, United States
UC Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross
🇺🇸
New Lenox, Illinois, United States
Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
University of Maryland/Greenebaum Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Washington University School of Medicine
🇺🇸
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center P2C
🇺🇸
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo Clinic
🇺🇸
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
National University Hospital Singapore
🇸🇬
Singapore, Singapore
Chinese University of Hong Kong-Prince of Wales Hospital
🇨🇳
Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Keck Medical Center of USC Pasadena
🇺🇸
Pasadena, California, United States
University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Chicago, Illinois, United States