This randomized pilot phase II trial studies the effect of pembrolizumab with or without carboplatin and paclitaxel on immune response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has come back or stage IIIB-IV. Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, 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 pembrolizumab together with carboplatin and paclitaxel may improve immune responses in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the immune effects of single agent pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab combined with low-dose carboplatin and paclitaxel. II. Estimate the treatment response to single agent pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab combined with low-dose carboplatin and paclitaxel. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the toxicity and tolerability of pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab combined with low-dose carboplatin and paclitaxel. II. Assess quality of life (QOL) in patients receiving single agent pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab combined with carboplatin and paclitaxel. III. Assess the association between immune response and clinical response. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1. ARM II: Patients receive pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1, paclitaxel IV over 1 hour and carboplatin IV over 1 hour on days 1, 7 and 14. In both arms, courses repeat every 3 weeks for 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for at least 30 days and then every 8 weeks thereafter.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
43
Given IV
Correlative studies
Given IV
Given IV
Ancillary studies
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Duration of Response
Duration of response will also be assessed in each group and compared using survival analysis methods. Per response evaluation criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria: Complete Response (irCR): Complete disappearance of all target and new, measurable lesions, with the exceptions of lymph nodes which must decrease to \< 10 mm in short axis; Partial Response (irPR): Decrease in TMTB ≥ 30% relative to baseline; Stable Disease (irSD): Not meeting criteria for irCR or irPR, in absence of irPD; Progressive Disease (irPD): Increase in TMTB ≥ 20% relative to nadir.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Change in Effect of Treatment in Immune Markers From Baseline to End of Treatment (up to 2 Years)
Immune markers were measured at baseline and post-treatment. Data reported are the difference (post-pre) in these immune markers. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to analyze the effects of the treatments on the change in immune markers.
Time frame: Baseline and end of treatment (up to 2 years)
Objective Response Rate (ORR), Assessed Using RECIST
The Fisher's exact test methods will be used to estimate ORR between groups. The Exact Clopper-Pearson 95% confidence intervals will be calculated for each group. Per response evaluation criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria: Complete Response (irCR): Complete disappearance of all target and new, measurable lesions, with the exceptions of lymph nodes which must decrease to \< 10 mm in short axis; Partial Response (irPR): Decrease in TMTB ≥ 30% relative to baseline; Stable Disease (irSD): Not meeting criteria for irCR or irPR, in absence of irPD; Progressive Disease (irPD): Increase in TMTB ≥ 20% relative to nadir.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Overall Survival
The Kaplan Meier curves will be used to estimate overall survival rates.
Time frame: Duration of time from randomization to the time of death due to any cause, or the date the subject was last confirmed to be alive, assessed up to 3 years
Progression Free Survival
The Kaplan Meier curves will be used to estimate progression free survival rates. Per response evaluation criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria: Progressive Disease (irPD): Increase in TMTB ≥ 20% relative to nadir.
Time frame: Duration of time from randomization to the time of immune-related progressive disease or death, whichever comes first, assessed up to 3 years
Number of Participants With Reported Adverse Events - CTCAE Version 4.0
Adverse events will be categorized by organ system and severity and summarized as frequency counts and percentages. A treatment will be considered too toxic if ≥6 of 20 patients in a cohort are removed from study because of toxicity.
Time frame: At baseline, at week 8, week 12, week 20 and up to 30 days after last study drug is administered
Change in Immune Markers From Baseline to End of Treatment (up to 2 Years) With Treatment Response
Treatment response will be grouped into 3 categories as defined earlier in the protocol (complete or partial response, stable disease, progressive disease). The immune responses for patients within each of these 3 groups will be examined to determine whether there is evidence of an association. Immune markers were measured at baseline and post-treatment. Data reported are the difference (post-pre) in these immune markers. The change in markers (post-pre) are summarized and compared between treatment groups using a Kruskal Wallis test.
Time frame: At baseline and post-treatment
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