Nivolumab for the Reversal of Squamous Dysplasia in High Risk Current and Former Smokers

This is a single-institution, open-label, single-arm, two-stage, phase II study of the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab in patients at high risk for lung cancer. Simon's two-stage design will be used. In the first stage, 18 subjects will be enrolled. If at least 7 subjects respond to nivolumab, then an additional 24 subjects will be enrolled for a total of 42 subjects. The central hypothesis to be tested by this trial is that immune evasion contributes to malignant transformation of premalignant bronchial dysplastic lesions into invasive lung cancers, and that blocking PD-1 will allow the immune system to target and eradicate premalignant bronchial dysplastic lesions, thereby preventing the development of lung cancer. Nivolumab 240 mg IV will be administered every two weeks for a total of four doses (8 weeks). Participants will undergo bronchoscopy with endobronchial biopsy at study entry, 2 months, and 6 months. The primary endpoint will be change in bronchial dysplasia between study entry and the 6 month timepoint. Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability of nivolumab in patients with bronchial dysplastic lesions, and additional endobronchial histology endpoints. Exploratory endpoints will be used to identify predictive markers of response to nivolumab.