Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab — TOP 1501  

Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Clinical Trial

Official title: Pembrolizumab Prior to Surgery for Stage 1B, 2 or 3A Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Phase II Study

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

This multi-institutional, phase 2 clinical trial is studying two doses of pembrolizumab administered prior to surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) and 4 doses administered after surgery (adjuvant therapy) for stage IB, II or IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. Pembrolizumab is a type of immunotherapy that may enhance the ability of the immune system to fight off cancer. The study will investigate the effects of pembrolizumab on the immune system and how certain immune cells, called TILs (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes), respond to pembrolizumab. Previous studies suggest that pembrolizumab could alter the immune cells in a way that the the immune cells identify cancer cells. Pembrolizumab has been approved for the treatment of advanced lung cancer, but is investigational in this setting.

Clinical Trial Description

The presumed mechanism of action for pembrolizumab is the removal of T lymphocyte inhibition by masking the PD-1 receptor. Our hypothesis is that the masking of the PD-1 receptor by pembrolizumab results in the activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes with specificities against tumor associated antigens (TILs). In untreated lung cancer tumors, we would expect few tumors to have TIL cells with specificities against tumor associated antigens. Based on the response rate to pembrolizumab in advanced lung cancer, we hypothesize that at least 20% of lung cancers would have TIL cells with specificities against tumor associated antigens after pembrolizumab therapy.

Studying neoadjuvant pembrolizumab therapy is an attractive strategy for studying the immunologic changes caused by PD-1 (programmed death receptor 1) checkpoint masking. Most of the immunologic activity associated with pembrolizumab occurs in the tumor and surrounding microenvironment. Evaluation of post-pembrolizumab tumor will be important to understanding factors associated with pembrolizumab activity, immune tolerance, and discovery of other targets for immune therapy. Pembrolizumab has known benefit in non-small cell lung cancer. The addition of pembrolizumab for two doses prior to surgery and four doses after surgery has the potential to confer clinical benefit. Large randomized phase 3 trials are now testing whether PD-1 checkpoint antibodies improve survival as adjuvant therapy after resection of early stage lung cancer. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
• Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma

• NCT number: NCT02818920
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Duke University
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: January 2017
• Completion date: March 2026