This phase II trial tests how well pembrolizumab along with standard of care androgen deprivation therapy, with bicalutamide and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist, and radiotherapy for the treatment of patients with high risk prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body (localized). A monoclonal antibody, such as pembrolizumab, is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). Bicalutamide is in a class of medications called androgen receptor inhibitors. It works by blocking the effects of androgen (a male reproductive hormone) to stop the growth and spread of tumor cells. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists prevent the body from making luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). This causes the testicles to stop making testosterone (a male hormone) in men and may stop the growth of prostate cancer cells that need testosterone to grow. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Giving pembrolizumab with androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy may kill more tumor cells in patients with high risk localized prostate cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the rate of prostate biopsy positivity at 6 months (mo.) in patients receiving pembrolizumab plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in combination with radiotherapy. II. Determine the safety of pembrolizumab in combination with ADT and radiotherapy. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Compare 6-month post-treatment biopsy positive rate in patients stratified by pre-treatment prostate infiltrating T-cell PD-1 and PD-L1 expression. II. Measures changes in health related quality of life (HRQOL). III. Determine the rate of grade 3 or higher Immune-related adverse events (irAEs). IV. Determine the rate of biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) stratified by tumor PD-1 and PD-L1 expression. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the time to cancer-directed treatment in subjects undergoing experimental treatment. II. Determine the 5-year rate of biochemical relapse-free survival (\[bRFS,\] i.e. prostate specific antigen \[PSA\] \> nadir + 2 ng/mL) III. Determine the nadir biochemical response rate (nadir PSA ≤ 0.5 ng/mL) IV. Determine the clinical and bRFS at five years. V. Report safety and tolerability of pembrolizumab, defined as pembrolizumab related adverse event of any grade and drug dose modification. VI. Determine metastases-free survival based on conventional imaging (not positron emission tomography \[PET\] based). VII. Determine the serum castration recovery rate (testosterone above 50 ng/dL) VIII. Determine the serum testosterone recovery rate (testosterone above 200 ng/dL) IX. Assess the effect of pembrolizumab combined with ADT + radiation therapy (RT) on serum, blood and tissue markers of the immune response. X. Correlate changes in markers of inflammatory response with clinical outcomes including post-treatment biopsy rate, PSA response and tumor free survival. XI. Correlate baseline prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) scan findings with efficacy endpoints. XII. Changes from pre- to post-treatment serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), blood, microbial and tissue markers of the immune response. XIII. Correlation of changes in markers of inflammatory response with clinical outcomes including biopsy-complete response, PSA response and disease free survival. XIV. Determine the rate of local tumor eradication at 12 months for those who had persistent tumor at 6 months. OUTLINE: Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 3 weeks for 51 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients receive standard of care ADT with GNRH agonist (leuprolide, goserelin, triptorelin) or GNRH antagonist (relugolix, degarelix) given orally (PO), subcutaneously (sub-Q) or via sub-Q implant for a total of 24 months, bicalutamide PO once per day (QD) for 6 months or up to 24 months per the discretion of the treating physician and radiation therapy per standard of care. Treatment is given in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo bone scan and/or computed tomography (CT) scan/ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during screening and prostate biopsy and blood sample collection throughout the study. After completion of study therapy, patients are followed up at 30 days and yearly thereafter.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Given PO, IM, Sub-Q injection or Sub-Q implant
Given PO
Undergo prostate biopsy
Undergo blood sample collection
Undergo CT scan
Undergo MRI
Given IV
Ancillary study
Undergo radiation therapy
Undergo bone scan
Biopsy-complete response determined by post-treatment biopsy
Will be defined as absence of detectable malignant cells in cores evaluated by established histologic techniques. An exact one-sided confidence interval will also be estimated and provided.
Time frame: From first dose of pembrolizumab Cycle 1 Day 1 to 6 months after Cycle 1 Day 1. Cycle length is 21 days.
Incidence of adverse events
Using Common terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.
Time frame: From first dose of pembrolizumab to 30 days after last dose of pembrolizumab
Post-treatment cancer detection rates in tumors by levels of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression
Will be evaluated by pre-treatment prostate infiltrating T-cell PD-1 expression status based on the median split of the expression level. Exact 95% confidence intervals will also be estimated and provided.
Time frame: From first dose of pembrolizumab to 6 months after Cycle 1 Day 1. Cycle length is 21 days.
Health related quality of life
Will be summarized at each appropriate time point using number completed, mean, standard deviation, and 95% confidence intervals.
Time frame: From screening up to 5 years
Incidence of grade 3 or higher immune related adverse events
Using CTCAE version 5.
Time frame: From first dose of pembrolizumab to 30 days after last dose of pembrolizumab
Rate of biochemical relapse-free survival
Will be estimated using Kaplan-Meier method.
Time frame: From enrollment of trial to 30 days post last dose of pembrolizumab
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