Following an informed consent process, participants will receive anti-PD-1 therapy with 200 mg of pembrolizumab and NKTR-214 at 0.006 mg/kg. Palliative radiation therapy will then be delivered to tumor sites causing or felt by the treating physician to have a high potential for causing symptoms with either 8 Gy X 3 or 4 Gy X 5 completed 3 to 7 days prior to cycle 2 of anti-PD1 and NKTR-214. Combined anti-PD-1 and NKTR-214 will then be delivered each subsequent cycle.~Efficacy will be measured by overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), clinical benefit (CB), and duration of response with ORR the primary outcome being compared to historical control data. Toxicity will be evaluated prior to administration of each 21-day cycle, while receiving NKTR-214 followed by every four months after the participant is off trial. Health related quality of life questionnaires will be completed with cycle 1 and 2 and then every 4 cycles thereafter.
This trial will evaluate safety and efficacy of the combination of anti-PD1, NKTR-214, and palliative radiation therapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Twenty-four participants will be enrolled to evaluate the efficacy of this combination.