Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients with Stage III-IV Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma That Can Be Removed by Surgery

Inclusion Criteria

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage III or IV HNSCC oral cavity, hypopharynx, oropharynx, larynx (excluding p16 or human papillomavirus [HPV]-positive oropharynx primaries and sinonasal primaries)
• Measurable disease defined as lesions that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as >= 10 mm with computed tomography (CT) scan, as >= 20 mm by chest x-ray, or >= 10 mm with calipers by clinical exam by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 1
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/mcl
• Platelets >= 100,000/mcl
• Hemoglobin >= 9 g/dL
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (IULN) OR direct bilirubin =< IULN for patients with total bilirubin > 1.5 x IULN
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 x IULN (or =< 5 x IULN for patients with liver metastases)
• Serum creatinine =< 1.5 x IULN OR creatinine clearance by Cockcroft-Gault >= 30 mL/min/1.73 m^2 for patients with creatinine levels > 1.5 x IULN
• International normalized ratio (INR) =< 1.5 x IULN unless patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy as long as INR or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants
• Activated PTT (aPTT) =< 1.5 x IULN unless patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy as long as INR or PTT is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants
• Sexually active women of childbearing potential and men must agree to use 2 methods of contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control, abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 120 days after last dose of MK-3475; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she must inform her treating physician immediately
• Ability to understand and willingness to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved written informed consent document (or that of legally authorized representative, if applicable)

Exclusion Criteria

• Prior treatment for head and neck cancer
• Patients with HPV-positive or p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA)
• Patients with sinonasal SCCAs
• Patients with metastatic SCCA neck disease with an unknown primary tumor site
• Prior treatment with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody (including ipilimumab or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways)
• Received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of MK-3475; examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine; seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g. FluMist) are live attenuated viruses and are not allowed
• A history of other malignancy =< 3 years previous with the exception of previous head and neck cancer treated only by surgery, basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin which were treated with local resection only, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Note: patients with synchronous head and neck cancer primaries are an exception to this criterion and may qualify for the study
• Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of MK-3475
• Currently receiving any other investigational agents or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or using an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of MK-3475
• A history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to MK-3475 or other agents used in the study
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection requiring systemic therapy, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, immunosuppression, autoimmune conditions, underlying pulmonary disease, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e. with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs); replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment
• Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis
• Pregnant and/or breastfeeding; patient must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 72 hours of study entry
• Known history of active TB (bacillus tuberculosis)
• Known history of hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] reactive) or known active hepatitis C (defined as hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] [qualitative] is detected) infection; Note: know testing for hepatitis B and hepatitis C is required unless mandated by local health authority
• Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies)