Combining Immunotherapy Salvage Surgery & IORT Tx Persistent/Recurrent Head & Neck Cancer

HNSALV Trial: Combining Immunotherapy With Salvage Surgery and IORT for Treatment of Persistent/Recurrent Head and Neck Cancers

This phase I trial is to find out the possible side effects of pembrolizumab and radiation therapy before and during surgery in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer that remains despite treatment (persistent) or has come back (recurrent). 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays or protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving pembrolizumab and radiation therapy before and during surgery may kill more tumor cells.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Recurrent Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Recurrent Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Recurrent Pharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Locally Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Head and Neck Carcinoma of Unknown Primary; Resectable Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Biological: Pembrolizumab; Radiation: External Beam Radiation Therapy; Radiation: Intraoperative Radiation Therapy; Procedure: Salvage Surgery

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate the potential toxicity of immunotherapy and preoperative radiation combined with intra-operative radiation in patients with recurrent or persistent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the clinical efficacy, measured as a locoregional control rate (LCR) and progression-free survival (PFS), of immunotherapy and preoperative radiation combined with intra-operative radiation in patients with recurrent or persistent HNSCC.

II. To evaluate the pre-operative radiation dose effect (0 Gy, 2 Gy X 2, 8 Gy X 2) on anti-tumor immune response in the setting of immunotherapy in patients with recurrent or persistent HNSCC.

III. To evaluate the radiation dose effect (0 Gy, 2 Gy X 2, 8 Gy X 2) on the expression of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) exonuclease Trex1.

IV. To compare the overall survival (OS) of pembrolizumab and pre and post-operative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) plus intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in subjects with recurrent or persistent HNSCC.

V. To assess the overall safety and tolerability of pre-operative pembrolizumab and pre-operative EBRT and IORT plus post-operative pembrolizumab versus pre-operative pembrolizumab plus IORT and post-operative pembrolizumab in subjects with with recurrent or persistent HNSCC.

VI. To evaluate whether PD-L1 expression is a predictive biomarker for LCR and PFS.

VII. To evaluate whether TNF-alpha expression is a predictive biomarker for LCR and PFS.

VIII. To evaluate whether NFkappaB expression is a predictive biomarker for LCR and PFS.

IX. To evaluate whether tumor mutational burden is predictive of immunotherapy response.

X. To evaluate the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) as assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and QLQ-HN35.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate associations between gene expression status of tumor samples and clinical efficacy (LRC, PFS and overall survival [OS]).

II. To evaluate whether mutational burden is a predictive biomarker for LCR and PFS.

III. To explore potential biomarkers associated with clinical efficacy (LRC, PFS, and OS) by analyzing circulating tumor DNA quantitative load with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), chemokines/cytokines and immune cells (e.g. CD8+ T cells, regulatory T cells [Tregs], myeloid derived suppressor cells [MDSCs]) with FACS in blood, tumor tissue and correlating those with clinical outcomes.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 arms.

ARM A: Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) on day 1 of week 1, and undergo salvage surgery during week 4. Beginning week 8, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for 1 fraction during week 9. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.

ARM B: Patients receive pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of week 1, and undergo low dose EBRT for 2 fractions on 2 consecutive days during week 4. Patients also undergo salvage surgery during week 8. Beginning week 11, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo IORT for 1 fraction during week 11. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.

ARM C: Patients receive pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of week 1, and undergo high dose EBRT for 2 fractions on 2 consecutive days during week 4. Patients also undergo salvage surgery during week 8. Beginning week 11, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo IORT for 1 fraction during week 11. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 90 and 180 days, then every 90 weeks for 24 months, and then every 6 months up to year 5.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 45
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; Phone Number: 800-293-5066; Email: OSUCCCClinicaltrials@osumc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
      • Recruiting
      • Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Contact: Dukagjin M. Blakaj, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 614-366-2729; Email: Dukagjin.Blakaj@osumc.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Dukagjin M. Blakaj, MD, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pathologically confirmed either persistent and/ or locoregionally recurrent HNSCC of oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, unknown primary head and neck (H&N) squamous cell carcinoma
• Resectable disease as determined by the surgeon and team
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) < 2
• At least 18 years of age
• Adequate hematologic, renal, and hepatic function
• Must have at least 2 week washout period from prior therapy
• Willingness and ability to provide informed consent
• Negative pregnancy test for females of reproductive potential
• Patients who have undergone therapy for their cancer, such as surgery and/or chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and recurred
• Disease measurable by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) per RECIST 1.1 criteria.
• Prior definitive and palliative chemotherapy will be allowed
• Prior radiation therapy will be allowed
• Tumor tissue from resected site of disease must be provided for biomarker analyses, in addition to urine and blood sample as scheduled per protocol
• White blood cell (WBC) >= 2000/uL (obtained within 14 days of randomization)
• Neutrophils >= 1500/uL (obtained within 14 days of randomization)
• Platelets >= 100 x10^3/uL (obtained within 14 days of randomization)
• Hemoglobin > 9.0 g/dL (obtained within 14 days of randomization)
• Serum creatinine =< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) or calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl) >= 40 mL/min (Cockcroft and Gault or Wright formula may be used according to local practice) (obtained within 14 days of randomization)
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 3 x institutional ULN
• Total Bilirubin =< 1.5 x institutional ULN (except subjects with Gilbert Syndrome, who can have total bilirubin < 3.0 mg/dL)
• Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must use appropriate method(s) of contraception. WOCBP should use an adequate method to avoid pregnancy for four months after the last dose of pembrolizumab.
• Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG])
• Men who are sexually active with WOCBP must use any contraceptive method with a failure rate of less than 1% per year. Men who are sexually active with WOCBP will be instructed to adhere to contraception for a period of four months after the last dose of investigational product

Exclusion Criteria:

• Requirement of immunosuppressive therapy within 14 days of randomization
• Salivary gland carcinomas, lip carcinoma, adenocarcinoma of the skin
• Prior use of immune checkpoint blockade agent
• History of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, C: Participants who test positive for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBV sAg) or hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV antibody) indicating acute or chronic infection, those who test positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or have known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• Unresectable disease, as determined by the surgeon and team
• Subjects with history of grade 3 toxicity with prior immunotherapy
• Patients with distant metastases
• Subjects with active autoimmune disease
• Breastfeeding women
• Additional prior malignancy within the previous 3 years (treated or untreated, except for skin carcinomas treated with excision alone and carcinoma in situ of the cervix)
• Palliative radiotherapy less than 14 days prior to first dose of study drug
• Any history of hypersensitivity to any of the trial medications
• Poorly controlled or serious medical or psychiatric illness likely to interfere with participation and/or compliance in this clinical trial
• Prisoners or subjects who are involuntarily incarcerated
• Patients not available for follow-up/future contact as defined in the ICF
• Note: Patients on this protocol are not excluded from participation in other clinical trials

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm A (pembrolizumab, salvage surgery, IORT); Patients receive pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of week 1, and undergo salvage surgery during week 4. Beginning week 8, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo IORT for 1 fraction during week 9. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.	Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Ancillary studies; Other Names: Quality of Life Assessment; Biological: Pembrolizumab; Given IV; Other Names: Keytruda; MK-3475; Lambrolizumab; SCH 900475; Radiation: Intraoperative Radiation Therapy; Undergo IORT; Other Names: IORT; Intraoperative Radiotherapy; radiotherapy, intraoperative; Procedure: Salvage Surgery; Undergo salvage surgery; Other Names: Rescue Surgery; Salvage Resection; Salvage Surgical Resection; Surgical Salvage
Experimental: Arm B (pembrolizumab, EBRT, salvage surgery, IORT); Patients receive pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of week 1, and undergo low dose EBRT for 2 fractions on 2 consecutive days during week 4. Patients also undergo salvage surgery during week 8. Beginning week 11, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo IORT for 1 fraction during week 11. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.	Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Ancillary studies; Other Names: Quality of Life Assessment; Biological: Pembrolizumab; Given IV; Other Names: Keytruda; MK-3475; Lambrolizumab; SCH 900475; Radiation: External Beam Radiation Therapy; Undergo EBRT; Other Names: EBRT; Definitive Radiation Therapy; External Beam Radiation; External Beam Radiotherapy; External Beam RT; external radiation; External Radiation Therapy; external-beam radiation; Radiation, External Beam; Radiation: Intraoperative Radiation Therapy; Undergo IORT; Other Names: IORT; Intraoperative Radiotherapy; radiotherapy, intraoperative; Procedure: Salvage Surgery; Undergo salvage surgery; Other Names: Rescue Surgery; Salvage Resection; Salvage Surgical Resection; Surgical Salvage
Experimental: Arm C (pembrolizumab, EBRT, salvage surgery, IORT); Patients receive pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of week 1, and undergo high dose EBRT for 2 fractions on 2 consecutive days during week 4. Patients also undergo salvage surgery during week 8. Beginning week 11, patients receive pembrolizumab IV every 3 weeks for up to 18 doses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo IORT for 1 fraction during week 11. Treatment with pembrolizumab may continue beyond initial progression per investigator-assessed clinical benefit and if the patient is tolerating pembrolizumab.	Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Ancillary studies; Other Names: Quality of Life Assessment; Biological: Pembrolizumab; Given IV; Other Names: Keytruda; MK-3475; Lambrolizumab; SCH 900475; Radiation: External Beam Radiation Therapy; Undergo EBRT; Other Names: EBRT; Definitive Radiation Therapy; External Beam Radiation; External Beam Radiotherapy; External Beam RT; external radiation; External Radiation Therapy; external-beam radiation; Radiation, External Beam; Radiation: Intraoperative Radiation Therapy; Undergo IORT; Other Names: IORT; Intraoperative Radiotherapy; radiotherapy, intraoperative; Procedure: Salvage Surgery; Undergo salvage surgery; Other Names: Rescue Surgery; Salvage Resection; Salvage Surgical Resection; Surgical Salvage

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of adverse events	Evaluated using National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE) version 4.0. Summarized by treatment group. All on-study adverse events (AEs), treatment-related AEs, serious (S)AEs, and treatment-related SAEs will be tabulated using worst grade per NCI CTCAE version 4.0 criteria by system organ class and preferred term. On-study lab parameters including hematology, chemistry, liver function, and renal function will also be summarized using worst grade NCI CTCAE v 4.0 criteria. Toxicity will be measured as the rate of grade 3 and 4 adverse events and will be calculated through using the exact binomial distribution method with a 2- sided 95% confidence interval.	Up to 100 days after last dose of study drug
Health related quality of life	Assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30. Analysis will be performed in all randomized participants who have an assessment at baseline and at least one follow-up assessment using linear mixed model for repeated measures to model the changes overtime for each arm.	Up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Objective-response rate (ORR)	ORR including complete response rate, partial response rate, and stable disease rate will be calculated using the exact binomial distribution method with a 2- sided 95% confidence interval among patients who obtain a least one dose of study drug.	Up to 5 years
Local control rate	Analyses will be conducted using Kaplan-Meier method for each arm. The hazard ratio and corresponding two-sided 95% CI will be estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model, with treatment group as a single covariate.	From the first day of therapy to the occurrence of a local and/or regional recurrence (whichever comes first), and death from any cause other than distant metastasis, assessed up to 24 months
Overall survival	Analyses will be conducted using Kaplan-Meier method for each arm. The hazard ratio and corresponding two-sided 95% CI will be estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model, with treatment group as a single covariate.	Up to 5 years
Progression-free survival (PFS)	Analyses will be conducted using Kaplan-Meier method for each arm. The PFS medians with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and PFS at 6, 12, and 24 months with 95% CIs will be estimated a two-sided log-rank test. The hazard ratio and corresponding two-sided 95% CI will be estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model, with treatment group as a single covariate, stratified by the above factors.	From the first day of the therapy to the appearance of local or regional recurrence, distant metastases, secondary primary cancer or death from any cause, assessed up to 24 months
PD-L1 expression	A Cox proportional hazards model will be used to test the interaction between PD-L1 expression (positive vs negative) and treatment arm.	Up to 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dukagjin M Blakaj, MD, PhD, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The Jamesline

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 12, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 9, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 9, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 29, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Therapeutics; Physical Phenomena; Radiotherapy; Radiation; pembrolizumab
• Other Study ID Numbers: OSU-20297; NCI-2021-00036 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No