BLockade of PD-1 Added to Standard Therapy to Target Measurable Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia 1 (BLAST MRD AML-1): A Randomized Phase 2 Study of the Anti-PD-1 Antibody Pembrolizumab in Combination With Conventional Intensive Chemotherapy as Frontline Therapy in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

This phase II trial studies how well cytarabine and idarubicin or daunorubicin with or without pembrolizumab work in treating patients with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cytarabine, idarubicin, and daunorubicin, 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. 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. Giving induction chemotherapy with pembrolizumab may work better than induction chemotherapy alone in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia.