Metastatic Thyroid Gland Medullary Carcinoma

This phase I trial investigates the side effects of cabozantinib and nivolumab in treating patients with cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and who are undergoing treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cabozantinib and nivolumab may shrink or stabilize cancer in patients undergoing treatment for HIV.

This phase II trial studies how well intensive blood pressure management works in decreasing systolic blood pressure in patients with kidney or thyroid cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic) who are starting anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor cancer therapy. This study is being done to find out if a systolic blood pressure to a target of less than 120 mmHg (intensive systolic blood pressure management) can be achieved, well tolerated, and beneficial as compared to the usual approach to a target of less than 140 mmHg while taking an anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This study may help doctors understand the best way to control blood pressure in kidney or thyroid cancer patients taking anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

The primary objective of this study is to determine in an exploratory manner the objective overall response rate to ponatinib in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic MTC previously treated with cabozantinib or vandetanib who have tumors with rearranged-during-transfection (RET) mutations and have tumors without RET mutations.