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LymphomaPhase 2NCT03316573

Pembrolizumab in Neoplasms or Lymphomas

A Phase 2 study testing Pembrolizumab in people with Lymphoma and Histiocytic Sarcoma, run by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at 4 sites in United States.

Suspended

Paused. Enrolment is on hold for now and may resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

This research study is studying a drug called pembrolizumab as a possible treatment for aggressive lymphoma or a histiocyte or dendritic cell neoplasm. The drug involved in this study is: -Pembrolizumab Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Pembrolizumab
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
18 participants
Where
4 sitesUnited States
Study dates
7 Dec 2017to 1 Dec 2026
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Be willing and able to provide written informed consent for the trial.
  • Histologically confirmed diagnosis of a histiocyte/dendritic cell neoplasm or relapsed/refractory aggressive lymphoma with at least one of the following features (with review required at a participating study center):
  • Diffuse large B cell lymphoma with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive tumor cells (defined as positive EBV-encoded RNA in tumor cells)
  • Plasmablastic lymphoma
  • T cell/histiocyte rich DLBCL
  • EBV+ T cell lymphoma of any histology; note, patients with angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma will be eligible regardless of EBV status
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  • Histiocytic sarcoma
  • Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma
  • Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma
  • For patients with histiocytic sarcoma, interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma, or follicular dendritic cell sarcoma only: disease that is not amenable to surgical resection and/or radiation therapy with curative intent.
  • For lymphoma patients only: At least one prior systemic chemotherapy including an alkylating agent and anthracycline (unless contraindicated), and an anti-cluster of differentiate 20 (CD20) monoclonal antibody if the tumor is CD20+.
  • For lymphoma patients only: Participants must have received and relapsed after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), or be ineligible for ASCT (including on the basis of refractory disease), or have declined ASCT
  • Age 18 years or older at the time of signing consent.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 (Karnofsky ≥70%, see Appendix A)
  • Participants must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:
  • absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/microliter (mcL)
  • platelets ≥75,000/mcL (> 30,000 if there is bone marrow involvement with lymphoma)
  • total bilirubin < 1.5 times the institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) OR direct bilirubin < the normal in subjects with total bilirubin >1.5 times the ULN
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(SGOT)/ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (SGPT) ≤2.5 × institutional ULN or < 5 times ULN in patients with known hepatic involvement with lymphoma
  • albumin > 2.5 mg/dl
  • creatinine < 1.5 times the normal upper institutional limit OR creatinine clearance ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 in participants with creatinine levels > 1.5 times the normal upper institutional limit
  • International normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) or prothrombin time (PT) < 1.5 times the ULN unless subject is receiving anticoagulation therapy as long as PT or aPTT are within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulant
  • Be willing to provide tissue from a newly obtained core needle or excisional biopsy. Newly-obtained is defined as a specimen obtained up to and including 90 days prior to treatment day 1. Subjects for whom newly obtained samples cannot be provided may be enrolled only with agreement by the overall PI.
  • No prior allogeneic transplant unless all of the following apply:
  • At least 5 years from time of transplant
  • Absence of clinically significant graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
  • Not on immune suppression
  • Approval of overall PI
  • Not a candidate for potentially curative therapy at the time of enrollment
  • Measurable disease per the Lugano criteria.
  • Female subjects of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test 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 must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception as outlined in Section 5.4.3 - Contraception for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication.
  • Abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual lifestyle and preferred contraception for the subject.
  • Male subjects of childbearing potential must agree to use an adequate method of contraception as outlined in Section 5.4.3- Contraception, starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy.
  • Abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual lifestyle and preferred contraception for the subject
  • The effects of pembrolizumab on the developing human fetus are unknown. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.

Who cannot join

  • Prior treatment with a PD-1, PD-L1 or PD-L2 inhibitor
  • Has had a prior anti-cancer monoclonal antibody within 4 weeks prior to study day 1 or has not recovered (i.e., < grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to a previously administered agent.
  • Participants who have had chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to study day 1 (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) or who has not recovered (i.e., < grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to previously administered agents. Note: subjects with < grade 2 peripheral neuropathy are an exception to this criterion and may qualify for the study.
  • Radiation therapy within 2 weeks of study treatment
  • Is currently participating and receiving study therapy or has participated in a study of an investigational agent and received study therapy or used an investigational device within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment.
  • Has a known history of active tuberculosis
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  • Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
  • Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
  • Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (i.e., with the use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapy (e.g., thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal her pituitary insufficiency, etc.) is not considered a form of systemic treatment.
  • Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving any form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment or is taking chronic systemic steroids (in doses exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) within 7 days prior to the first dose of trial treatment. Note: Subjects with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that require intermittent use of bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, or local steroid injections are not excluded from the study.
  • Has a history of non-infectious pneumonitis that required systemic corticosteroid treatment or has active pneumonitis.
  • Known active central nervous system involvement 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 4 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. This exception does not include carcinomatous meningitis which is excluded regardless of clinical stability.
  • Known additional malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment. Exceptions include basal cell carcinoma of the skin or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has undergone potentially curative therapy or in situ cervical cancer
  • Active hepatitis B (e.g., hepatitis B surface antigen reactive) or hepatitis C (e.g., hepatitis C virus RNA detectable).
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV 1/2).
  • Is pregnant or breast-feeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the screening visit until 120 days after the last dose of trial treatment.
  • Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy. (Note: seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are allowed as they are inactivated; however, intranasal influenza vaccines are live attenuated vaccines and are NOT allowed)
  • History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to pembrolizumab.
  • Baseline pulse oximetry <94% or requires oxygen supplementation of any kind
  • If subject underwent major surgery they must have recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from the procedure prior to starting therapy.
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, or cardiac arrhythmia

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

United States4 sites

  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114

  • Dana Farber Cancer Institute

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • Northwestern University

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

  • University of Nebraska

    Omaha, Nebraska, 68198

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab in Patients With Histiocyte/Dendritic Cell Neoplasms and Biologically Selected Subtypes of Relapsed/Refractory Aggressive Lymphomas

This research study is studying a drug called pembrolizumab as a possible treatment for aggressive lymphoma or a histiocyte or dendritic cell neoplasm.

The drug involved in this study is:

-Pembrolizumab

Read the detailed description

This research study is a Phase II clinical trial. Phase II clinical trials test the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug to learn whether the drug works in treating a specific disease. "Investigational" means that the drug is being studied.

The FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has not approved pembrolizumab for this specific disease but it has been approved for other uses.

The study drug is an antibody that targets a molecule called programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). PD-1 is used to turn down the immune system. In general, this is used by the body to prevent the immune system from being too active. However, several cancers appear to use this pathway to prevent the immune system from attacking them. The theory behind this study is that by blocking PD-1, we may be able to prevent the cancer from hiding from the immune system and allow the immune system to attack the cancer more effectively. There is evidence that the type of lymphoma the participant have may use PD-1 to escape the immune system.

Being tested
Pembrolizumab
Keywords
Lymphoma, Histiocyte sarcoma, Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma
Medical subject headings
Lymphoma, Histiocytic Sarcoma, Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular, Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Interdigitating

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PembrolizumabDrug

    Also called Keytruda

    The study drug is an antibody that targets a molecule called PD-1. Blocking PD-1 allow the immune system to attack the cancer more effectively.

Study groups in NCT03316573
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PembrolizumabExperimentalPembrolizumab will be administered intravenously every 3 weeks for 35 cycles
Receives: Drug: Pembrolizumab

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Overall Response Rate

    The number of subjects with partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) by PET/CT scan

    Per Lugano criteria, CR is defined as positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), score 1, 2, or 3 with or without a residual mass on 5 point scale (5PS) OR on CT, target nodes/nodal masses must regress to ≤1.5 cm in longest diameter (LDi). PR is defined as PET-CT score 4 or 5 with reduced uptake compared with baseline and residual mass(es) of any size. OR on CT ≥50% decrease in the sum of the products of the longest perpendicular diameters (SPD) of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites.

    Measured: 2 years

Secondary outcomes (6)

  1. Complete Response Rate

    The number of patients with complete response (CR)

    Per Lugano criteria, CR is defined as PET-CT, score 1, 2, or 3 with or without a residual mass on 5PS OR on CT, target nodes/nodal masses must regress to ≤1.5 cm in LDi.

    Measured: 2 years

  2. Number of Patients With Adverse Events of Any Grade

    The number of patients with an adverse event of any grade that has definite, probable, or possible attribution to study treatment.

    Measured: Up to 35 cycles of treatment (approximately 2 years) plus up to an additional 24 months of follow-up after treatment

  3. Duration of Response

    Length of first complete (CR) or partial response (PR) until progression (PD)

    Per Lugano criteria, CR is defined as PET-CT, score 1, 2, or 3 with/without a residual mass on 5PS OR on CT, target nodes/nodal masses must regress to ≤1.5 cm in LDi. PR is defined as PET-CT score 4 or 5 with reduced uptake compared with baseline and residual mass(es) of any size. OR on CT ≥50% decrease in SPD of up to 6 target measurable nodes and extranodal sites. PD is defined as PET-CT score 4 or 5 with an increase in intensity of uptake from baseline and/or new fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid foci consistent with lymphoma at interim or end-of-treatment assessment. OR on CT, an individual node/lesion must be abnormal. OR new/clear progression of pre-existing nonmeasured lesions. OR regrowth of previously resolved lesions. OR new node >1.5 cm in any axis or new extranodal site >1.0 cm in any axis or be unequivocal and attributable to lymphoma. AND/OR new/recurrent involvement of the bone marrow

    Measured: Up to 35 cycles of treatment (approximately 2 years) plus up to an additional 24 months of follow-up after treatment

  4. Progression-free Survival

    Time from study registration until the earlier of first progression or death from any cause, censored for patients alive without progression or lost to follow-up without documented progression.

    Per Lugano criteria, progression is defined as PET-CT score 4 or 5 with an increase in intensity of uptake from baseline and/or new FDG-avid foci consistent with lymphoma at interim or end-of-treatment assessment. OR on CT, an individual node/lesion must be abnormal. OR new or clear progression of pre-existing nonmeasured lesions. OR regrowth of previously resolved lesions. OR a new node >1.5 cm in any axis or a new extranodal site >1.0 cm in any axis or be unequivocal and must be attributable to lymphoma. AND/OR new or recurrent involvement of the bone marrow

    Measured: Up to 35 cycles of treatment (approximately 2 years) plus up to an additional 24 months of follow-up after treatment

  5. Duration of Complete Response

    The length of first complete response (CR) until progression (PD)

    Per Lugano criteria, CR is defined as PET-CT, score 1, 2, or 3 with or without a residual mass on 5PS OR on CT, target nodes/nodal masses must regress to ≤1.5 cm in LDi. PD is defined as PET-CT score 4 or 5 with an increase in intensity of uptake from baseline and/or new FDG-avid foci consistent with lymphoma at interim or end-of-treatment assessment. OR on CT, an individual node/lesion must be abnormal. OR new or clear progression of pre-existing nonmeasured lesions. OR regrowth of previously resolved lesions. OR a new node >1.5 cm in any axis or a new extranodal site >1.0 cm in any axis or be unequivocal and must be attributable to lymphoma. AND/OR new or recurrent involvement of the bone marrow

    Measured: Up to 35 cycles of treatment (approximately 2 years) plus up to an additional 24 months of follow-up after treatment

  6. Overall Survival

    Time from study registration until death from any cause, censored for patients still alive or lost to follow-up

    Measured: Up to 35 cycles of treatment (approximately 2 years) plus up to an additional 24 months of follow-up after treatment

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Oct 2017
  2. Study start7 Dec 2017
  3. Primary completion18 Aug 2022
  4. Study completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)

Why it stopped: Low accrual

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
18 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03316573
Sponsor's protocol ID
17-448
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
18 Oct 2017
Last updated
6 Aug 2026
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Griffin GK, Weirather JL, Roemer MGM, Lipschitz M, Kelley A, Chen PH, Gusenleitner D, Jeter E, Pak C, Gjini E, Chapuy B, Rosenthal MH, Xu J, Chen BJ, Sohani AR, Lovitch SB, Abramson JS, Ishizuka JJ, Kim AI, Jacobson CA, LaCasce AS, Fletcher CD, Neuberg D, Freeman GJ, Hodi FS, Wright K, Ligon AH, Jacobsen ED, Armand P, Shipp MA, Rodig SJ. Spatial signatures identify immune escape via PD-1 as a defining feature of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma. Blood. 2021 Mar 11;137(10):1353-1364. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020006464.

    PubMed 32871584

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Pembrolizumab in people with Lymphoma and Histiocytic Sarcoma, run by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at 4 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 36 inclusion and 21 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: paused, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 22 Nov 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Overall Response Rate (time frame: 2 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03316573, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Aug 2026.

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Pembrolizumab in Neoplasms or Lymphomas (NCT03316573) | AzTrials