PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To determine the safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab, as single agents or in combination and with 5-azacitidine (azacitidine), in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).~SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To explore the clinical activity of nivolumab and ipilimumab, as single agents or in combination and with 5-azacitidine, in patients with MDS.~II. To explore the biological activity of these compounds in patients with MDS.~OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 6 cohorts. Patients with hypomethylating failure MDS are assigned to cohorts I, II, or III. Patients with previously untreated MDS are assigned to cohorts IV, V, or VI.~COHORT I (COHORT COMPLETED AS OF 10/7/19): Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on days 1 and 15. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for up to 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with disease progression may receive nivolumab and azacitidine at the discretion of the treating physician.~COHORT II (COHORT COMPLETED AS OF 10/7/19): Patients receive ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Cycles repeat every 3 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with disease progression may receive ipilimumab and azacitidine at the discretion of the treating physician.~COHORT III: Patients receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 15 and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for up to 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients then receive nivolumab IV over 30 minutes every 2 weeks (or every 4 weeks if patients receive azacitidine) in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with disease progression may receive ipilimumab, nivolumab, and azacitidine at the discretion of the treating physician.~COHORT IV (COHORT COMPLETED AS OF 10/7/19): Patients receive azacitidine IV over 10-40 minutes on days 1-5 and nivolumab IV over 30 minutes on days 6 and 20. Cycles repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.~COHORT V: Patients receive azacitidine IV over 10-40 minutes on days 1-5 and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 6. Cycles repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.~COHORT VI (COHORT ON-HOLD AS OF 10/7/19): Patients receive azacitidine IV over 10-40 minutes on days 1-5 and nivolumab IV over 30 minutes and ipilimumab IV over 30 minutes on day 6. Treatment with ipilimumab repeats every 4 weeks for 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cycles with nivolumab and azacitidine repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
This phase II trial studies the side effects of nivolumab and/or ipilimumab with or without azacitidine and to see how well they work in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may block cancer growth in different ways by targeting certain cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as azacitidine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving nivolumab and/or ipilimumab with or without azacitidine may work better in treating myelodysplastic syndrome.