This pilot phase I trial studies the side effects of pembrolizumab and combination chemotherapy in treating patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or grade 3b follicular lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab and rituximab, may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving pembrolizumab together with combination chemotherapy may be with a better treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or follicular lymphoma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To measure the toxicity profile of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) when co-administered with full-course RCHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone) in subjects with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess clinical outcomes including response rate, event-free survival, and overall survival after MK-3475 + RCHOP induction for subjects with previously untreated DLBCL.

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To measure baseline expression of proteins in the programmed death-1 (PD-1) family on tumor cells and coexisting immune infiltrates, using archival tissue when available.

II. To measure peripheral blood T cell subsets before and after treatment using flow cytometry, and to measure baseline vitamin D (25-hydroxy, total).

III. To explore relationships with these parameters and likelihood of response to therapy and outcomes.

OUTLINE:

Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1 and prednisone orally (PO) on days 1-5. Patients also receive rituximab IV, cyclophosphamide IV, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, and vincristine sulfate IV on day 2 of course 1 and on day 1 of subsequent courses. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of the study treatment, patients are followed up to 5 years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or grade 3B follicular lymphoma (of any stage); subjects must be planned to receive full course (6 cycles) of RCHOP chemoimmunotherapy as per clinical standard of care; patients may have de novo DLBCL, and /or any of the following:

  • Composite lymphomas, which include both diffuse DLBCL and another histology (most commonly follicular lymphoma) in the same lymph node
  • Transformed lymphoma with DLBCL histology, as long as the patient has not received prior therapy for lymphoma
  • Discordant presentations, such as DLBCL in a lymph node and low-grade lymphoma such as follicular lymphoma in the bone marrow

• Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial

• Have measurable nodal disease, including at least 1 disease site measuring 1.5 cm in longest dimension on computed tomography (CT) or fludeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)

• Have a performance status of 0 or 1 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance scale (PS)

• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1,500/mcL except in cases of marrow infiltration by lymphoma

• Platelets >= 100,000/mcL except in cases of marrow infiltration by lymphoma

• Hemoglobin >= 9 g/dL or >= 5.6 mmol/L except in cases of marrow infiltration by lymphoma

• Serum creatinine =< 1.5 X upper limit of normal (ULN) OR measured or calculated creatinine clearance >= 60 ml/min for subject with creatinine levels > 1.5 X institutional ULN (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] can also be used in place of creatinine or creatinine clearance [CrCl])

• Serum total bilirubin =< 1.5 X ULN OR direct bilirubin =< ULN for subjects with total bilirubin levels > 1.5 ULN

• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 X ULN or =< 5 X ULN for subjects with liver metastases

• International normalized ratio (INR) or prothrombin time (PT) =< 1.5 X ULN unless subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy; as long as PT or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants; activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) =< 1.5 X ULN unless subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy; as long as PT or PTT is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants, or subject is shown to have an antiphospholipid antibody on workup

• Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication; if the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required

• Female subjects of childbearing potential should be willing to use 2 methods of birth control or be surgically sterile, or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication; subjects of childbearing potential are those who have not been surgically sterilized or have not been free from menses for > 1 year

• Male subjects should agree to use an adequate method of barrier contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study drug or using an investigation device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment
• Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid therapy or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment
• Has a known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment; exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ cervical cancer that has undergone potentially curative therapy
• Has known active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis; subjects with previously treated brain metastases may participate provided they are stable (without evidence of progression by imaging for at least four weeks prior to the first dose of trial treatment and any neurologic symptoms have returned to baseline), have no evidence of new or enlarging brain metastases, and are not using steroids for at least 7 days prior to trial treatment
• No active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in 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 history of non-infectious pneumonitis that required steroids or current pneumonitis
• Has an active infection requiring intravenous antibiotic therapy
• Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator
• Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial
• Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment
• Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), anti-programmed cell death ligand 2 (PD-L2), anti-tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 9 (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)
• Has a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HIV 1/2 antibodies)
• Has known active hepatitis B (e.g., hepatitis B virus surface protein antigen [HBsAg] reactive or hepatitis B virus [HBV] deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] detectable) or hepatitis C (e.g., hepatitis C virus [HCV] ribonucleic acid [RNA] [qualitative] is detected)
• Has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment