Phase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Combination With ICE Salvage Chemotherapy for Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the complete response rate by fludeoxyglucose- positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) prior to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) with the combination of pembrolizumab and ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide (ICE) salvage chemotherapy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the safety and tolerability of pembrolizumab in combination with salvage high-dose chemotherapy according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v)4.03. II. To estimate the event free survival (EFS) at 2 years from start of treatment. III. To estimate the overall survival (OS) at 2 years from start of treatment. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To characterize PD-1 pathway specific expression and correlate with response. II. To characterize serum biomarkers of immune and inflammatory response during treatment. III. To characterize levels of soluble PD-L1 related to treatment with pembrolizumab. IV. To characterize T-lymphocyte subset changes to treatment with pembrolizumab. V. To investigate the prevalence and clinical correlation of chromosome 9p24.1 mutations for this population. VI. To evaluate the effect on stem cell harvest following treatment with pembrolizumab. OUTLINE: Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1, etoposide IV over 60 minutes on days 1-3 of courses 1-2, carboplatin IV over 60 minutes on day 2 of courses 1-2, and ifosfamide IV over 24 hours on day 2 of courses 1-2. Pembrolizumab in combination with ICE chemotherapy repeats every 21 days for 2 courses, patients will then receive pembrolizumab as monotherapy on course 3. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30 days, every 3 months for 2 years.