Summary
(CLOSED) This phase II trial tests whether the addition of radiation to the primary tumor, typically given with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR), in combination with standard of care immunotherapy improves outcomes in patients with renal cell cancer that is not recommended for surgery and has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Radiation therapy uses high energy photons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Stereotactic body radiation therapy uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. This method may kill tumor cells with fewer doses of radiation over a shorter period and cause less damage to normal tissue. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, ipilimumab, avelumab, and pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Axitinib, cabozantinib, and lenvatinib are in a class of medications called antiangiogenic agents. They work by stopping the formation of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to tumor. This may slow the growth and spread of tumor. Giving SABR in combination with standard of care immunotherapy may help shrink or stabilize the cancer in patients with renal cell cancer.
Description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To determine whether the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) to the primary tumor in combination with immunotherapy improves outcomes compared to immunotherapy alone in patients with metastatic, unresected, renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The primary endpoint is nephrectomy and radiographic progression-free survival (nrPFS) with progression determined as per iRECIST criteria.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess the safety, toxicity and tolerability of the two treatment strategies as defined by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5 in each treatment arm.
II. To assess the objective response rate (ORR) by Immune-related Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (iRECIST) in each treatment arm.
III. Nephrectomy and radiographic progression-free survival excluding nephrectomies that were performed for non-protocol specified indications (nephrectomy and radiographic progression-free survival [nrPFS]2).
IV. Radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS). V. To assess overall survival (OS) in each treatment arm. VI. To assess the time to subsequent second-line therapy or death in each treatment arm.
VII. To assess the rate of cytoreductive nephrectomy in each treatment arm. VIII. To assess treatment-free survival in patients who discontinue therapy for reason other than radiographic disease progression.
IX. To assess the ORR by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 and iRECIST in the primary renal mass.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess composite nrPFS in the predefined histological subgroups below:
Ia. Clear cell versus non-clear cell histology; Ib. International Metastatic RCC database consortium (IMDC) intermediate versus poor risk group; Ic. Systemic treatment with immunotherapy-immunotherapy combination versus immunotherapy-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy combination; Id. Sarcomatoid versus non sarcomatoid variant. II. To identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers of response to SABR in the context of immunotherapy based treatment via assessment of tissue and blood based biomarkers.
III. To evaluate the abscopal effect of SABR with systemic therapy. IIIa. Compare ORR in non-irradiated target lesions in the control arm patients undergoing immunotherapy alone to the experimental arm undergoing SABR + immunotherapy.
IV. To evaluate the impact of treatment on level of inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombus.
V. To compare accruing center identified iRECIST progression and centrally identified iRECIST progression events on computed tomography (CT).
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM I: Patients receive one of the following immunotherapy regimens per physician discretion: nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 weeks for 4 doses followed by nivolumab IV over 30 minutes every 2 or 4 weeks; pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 or 6 weeks and axitinib orally (PO) twice daily (BID); avelumab IV over 60 minutes every 2 weeks and axitinib PO BID; nivolumab IV over 30 minutes every 2 or 4 weeks and cabozantinib PO once daily (QD); OR pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes every 3 or 6 weeks and lenvatinib PO QD. Treatment with immunotherapy continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a bone scan as clinically indicated and blood sample collection throughout the trial.
ARM II: Patients undergo SABR on 3 different days over 1-3 weeks and receive immunotherapy as in Arm I. Patients also undergo CT scan or MRI throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a bone scan as clinically indicated and blood sample collection throughout the trial.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 6 months for 5 years, and then annually for 3 years.