Pembrolizumab in Combination With Cisplatin and Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) in Head and Neck Cancer

In both arms, the dose of pembrolizumab will be 200 mg (fixed dose) intravenous (IV) every 3 weeks for a total of 8 doses. In Arm 1, pembrolizumab will begin in week 10 of treatment, after cisplatin-IMRT is complete. In Arm 2, pembrolizumab will begin the week before cisplatin-IMRT.

Patients will receive cisplatin once weekly as an IV infusion over 60 minutes, for a total of 7 doses, at the same time as radiation.

IMRT will be delivered in 35 fractions (treatments) over 7 weeks (five treatments per non-holiday week) in one plan.