Phase Ib Study of Losartan, Pembrolizumab and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in Patients With Locoregionally Recurrent, Refractory, or Oligometastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)
This phase Ib trial tests the safety, side effects and how well losartan, pembrolizumab and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has come back to nearby tissue or lymph node after a period of improvement (locally recurrent), that has not responded to previous treatment (refractory) or that has spread from where it first started to multiple other placed in the body (oligometastatic). Losartan is a drug used to treat high blood pressure that may enhance the effects of other cancer treatments such as immunotherapy and radiation. Immunotherapy with pembrolizumab may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. SBRT is a type of external radiation therapy that uses special equipment to position a patient and precisely deliver radiation to tumors in the body (except the brain). The total dose of radiation is divided into smaller doses given over several days. This type of radiation therapy helps spare normal tissue. Giving losartan, pembrolizumab and SBRT may work better in treating patients with locally recurrent, refractory or oligometastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed locoregionally recurrent, refractory, or oligometastatic (at most 4 lesions) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck not amenable to curative resection
• p16 status known for base of tongue, soft palate, and tonsil cancers
• Tumor amenable to sequential biopsies, and patients willing to undergo sequential tumor biopsies so long as the treating investigator considers them to be clinically safe
• Prior radiotherapy to the head and neck is allowed. Disease should be limited to up to 4 sites of active disease in the head and neck and/or distant metastatic sites if deemed safely treatable by physician, or adjacent sites treatable in single contiguous target volume with a recommended maximum total tumor dimension (GTV) of \< 7.5 cm. However, larger volumes may be allowed after discussion with primary investigator (PI) and careful review of radiation dose constraints
• Prior systemic therapy is allowed. Patients with locoregional relapses where radiation alone would be indicated are allowed to enroll without prior systemic therapy
• Presence of measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) with a target on a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) available for review
• Combined positive score (CPS) \> 1%
• Age ≥ 18 years at time of consent
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 - 1
• Leukocytes ≥ 3 × 10\^9/L
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L
• Platelets ≥ 100 × 10\^9/L
• Hemoglobin (Hgb) ≥ 9 g/dL, transfusions may be used to raise Hgb to ≥ 9 g/dL (no washout required)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Aspartate transaminase (AST) / alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 × institutional ULN
• Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine above institutional ULN
• The effects of losartan on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason, individuals of childbearing potential and male participants with partners of childbearing potential, must agree to use methods of contraception for the duration of study participation (including dosing interruptions) and for up to 3 months after last study treatment; or be surgically sterilized
• Ability to understand and willingness to sign and date the informed consent form
• Stated ability and willingness to adhere to the study visit schedule and protocol requirements