Description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To evaluate the safety and tolerability of therapy with nivolumab + fluorouracil (5-FU) + recombinant interferon alpha 2b-like protein (IFN-alpha2b) in patients with unresectable fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC) in the context of palliative systemic and prebiopsy therapy.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To assess the efficacy of nivolumab + 5-FU + IFN-alpha2b therapy in patients with unresectable FLHCC by estimating the overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria, and comparing those rates to those from historical controls in our published data.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess the immunological/biomarker changes in tumor tissues and peripheral blood in response to nivolumab + 5-FU + IFN-aplha2b therapy (pre- versus [vs] post-treatment).
II. To explore any potential association between these biomarker measures and both antitumor response and immune-related response criteria (irRC) assessed by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) Department of Diagnostic Imaging.
OUTLINE:
Patients receive fluorouracil intravenously (IV) continuously on days 1-7 and 15-21 and recombinant interferon alpha 2b-like protein subcutaneously (SC) on days 1, 3, 5, 15, 17, and 19. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 2 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Beginning in cycle 3, patients receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1, fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-7 and 15-21, and recombinant interferon alpha 2b-like protein interferon alpha 2b SC on days 1, 3, 5, 15, 17, and 19. Cycles repeat every 28 days for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30 days and then every 12 weeks for 6 years.