Recurrent Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This clinical trial tests the impact of offering hearing tests (audiometry) close to home and remotely on participation in monitoring for treatment-related hearing loss in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer receiving cisplatin and/or radiation. Cisplatin, a chemotherapy often used to treat head and neck cancers, and radiation given near the ear can cause hearing loss in some patients. Hearing loss can have a major negative impact on quality of life, contributing to social isolation and frustration. Identifying hearing changes may allow treatment changes to prevent further loss. Audiometry measures hearing loss using a graphic record of the softest sounds that a person can hear at various frequencies. It is recommended patients have a hearing test before, during and after treatment to monitor for any hearing loss. This is usually done in the office and performed on the same day as other visits whenever possible, however, patients who live far away or have stage IV cancer, may have more difficulty coming back for hearing tests. Offering close to home and remote audiometry may improve monitoring for hearing loss in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer receiving cisplatin and/or radiation.

This phase II trial studies how well pembrolizumab works in treating patients with orbital (eye socket) and/or periorbital (surrounding the eye socket) cutaneous squamous cell cancer (cSCC) that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) or has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). Skin cancers that are close to the eye or on the eyelid often have more genetic (heredity) changes than other types of cancers. This means that the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (the building blocks of the body that determine such things as the color of the hair) in tumor tissue has been altered compared to normal tissue. It is thought cancer cells with these DNA changes are more likely to respond to a type of drug called immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Pembrolizumab is approved for patients with recurrent or metastatic cSCC not amenable (responsive) to cure by surgery or radiation. Giving pembrolizumab may work better in treating patients with locally advanced or recurrent orbital and/or periorbital cSCC.

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding cemiplimab to standard therapy (surgery with or without radiation) versus standard therapy alone in treating patients with stage III/IV squamous cell skin cancer that is able to be removed by surgery (resectable) and that may have come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). The usual treatment for patients with resectable squamous cell skin cancer is the removal of the cancerous tissue (surgery) with or without radiation, which uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cemiplimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cemiplimab has been approved for the treatment of skin cancer that has spread or that cannot be removed by surgery, but it has not been approved for the treatment of skin cancer than can be removed by surgery. Adding cemiplimab to the usual treatment of surgery with or without radiation may be more effective in treating patients with stage III/IV resectable squamous cell skin cancer than the usual treatment alone.