Explore the vast range of titles available.

The replacement of bleomycin with the immune drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin in the first-line chemotherapy regimen for advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma prolonged both progression-free and overall survival.

A randomized trial suggests that patients with negative PET-CT findings after two cycles of ABVD may have the bleomycin dropped from the regimen for the final four cycles. The omission of bleomycin reduced pulmonary toxic effects without reducing overall survival. The treatment of advanced-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma with chemotherapy has produced high survival rates. A series of randomized trials has confirmed that doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD), first described more than 40 years ago, 1 yields cure rates of 70 to 80%, similar to the rates observed with more complex multidrug regimens. 2 – 7 The possible exception is escalated therapy with bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP), with higher-than-standard doses of etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide. 8 This escalated regimen has been shown to yield higher progression-free survival rates than ABVD among previously untreated patients. 9 , 10 Trials in which ABVD and . . .

A regimen substituting brentuximab vedotin for bleomycin improved 3-year event-free survival among children and adolescents with Hodgkin’s lymphoma by nearly 10 percentage points without a major increase in toxic effects.

The intensity of chemotherapy and need for additional radiotherapy in patients with advanced stage Hodgkin's lymphoma has been unclear. We did a prospective randomised clinical trial comparing two reduced-intensity chemotherapy variants with our previous standard regimen. Chemotherapy was followed by PET-guided radiotherapy. In this parallel group, open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority trial (HD15), 2182 patients with newly diagnosed advanced stage Hodgkin's lymphoma aged 18–60 years were randomly assigned to receive either eight cycles of BEACOPPescalated (8×Besc group), six cycles of BEACOPPescalated (6×Besc group), or eight cycles of BEACOPP14 (8×B14 group). Randomisation (1:1:1) was done centrally by stratified minimisation. Non-inferiority of the primary endpoint, freedom from treatment failure, was assessed using repeated CIs for the hazard ratio (HR) according to the intention-to-treat principle. Patients with a persistent mass after chemotherapy measuring 2·5 cm or larger and positive on PET scan received additional radiotherapy with 30 Gy; the negative predictive value for tumour recurrence of PET at 12 months was an independent endpoint. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials, number ISRCTN32443041. Of the 2182 patients enrolled in the study, 2126 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis set, 705 in the 8×Besc group, 711 in the 6×Besc group, and 710 in the 8×B14 group. Freedom from treatment failure was sequentially non-inferior for the 6×Besc and 8×B14 groups as compared with 8×Besc. 5-year freedom from treatment failure rates were 84·4% (97·5% CI 81·0–87·7) for the 8×Besc group, 89·3% (86·5–92·1) for 6×Besc group, and 85·4% (82·1–88·7) for the 8×B14 group (97·5% CI for difference between 6×Besc and 8×Besc was 0·5–9·3). Overall survival in the three groups was 91·9%, 95·3%, and 94·5% respectively, and was significantly better with 6×Besc than with 8×Besc (97·5% CI 0·2–6·5). The 8×Besc group showed a higher mortality (7·5%) than the 6×Besc (4·6%) and 8×B14 (5·2%) groups, mainly due to differences in treatment-related events (2·1%, 0·8%, and 0·8%, respectively) and secondary malignancies (1·8%, 0·7%, and 1·1%, respectively). The negative predictive value for PET at 12 months was 94·1% (95% CI 92·1–96·1); and 225 (11%) of 2126 patients received additional radiotherapy. Treatment with six cycles of BEACOPPescalated followed by PET-guided radiotherapy was more effective in terms of freedom from treatment failure and less toxic than eight cycles of the same chemotherapy regimen. Thus, six cycles of BEACOPPescalated should be the treatment of choice for advanced stage Hodgkin's lymphoma. PET done after chemotherapy can guide the need for additional radiotherapy in this setting. Deutsche Krebshilfe and the Swiss Federal Government.

Optimal treatment regimens for AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma, a frequent contributor to morbidity and mortality among people with HIV, have not been systematically evaluated in low-income and middle-income countries, where the disease is most common. In this study, we aimed to investigate optimal treatment strategies for advanced stage disease in areas of high prevalence and limited resources. In this open-label, non-inferiority trial, we enrolled people with HIV and advanced stage AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma attending 11 AIDS Clinical Trials Group sites in Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) with a centralised computer system to receive either intravenous bleomycin and vincristine or oral etoposide (the investigational arms), or intravenous paclitaxel (the control arm), together with antiretroviral therapy (ART; combined efavirenz, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, and emtricitabine). The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) at week 48, using a 15% non-inferiority margin to compare the investigational groups against the active control group. Safety was assessed in all eligible treated study participants. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01435018. 334 participants were enrolled between Oct 1, 2013, and March 8, 2018, when the study was closed early due to inferiority of the bleomycin and vincristine plus ART arm, as per the recommendations of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). The etoposide plus ART arm also closed due to inferiority in March, 2016, following a DSMB recommendation. Week-48 PFS rates were higher in the paclitaxel plus ART arm than in both investigational arms. The absolute differences in PFS were −30% (95% CI −52 to −8) for the comparison of paclitaxel plus ART (week 48 PFS 50%, 32 to 67; n=59) and etoposide plus ART (20%, 6 to 33; n=59), and −20% (−33% to −7%) for the comparison of paclitaxel plus ART (64%, 55 to 73; n=138) and bleomycin and vincristine plus ART (44%, 35 to 53; n=132). Both CIs overlapped the non-inferiority margin. The most common adverse events, in 329 eligible participants who began treatment, were neutropenia (48 [15%]), low serum albumin (33 [10%]), weight loss (29 [9%]), and anaemia (28 [9%]), occurring at similar frequency across treatment arms. Non-inferiority of either investigational intervention was not shown, with paclitaxel plus ART showing superiority to both oral etoposide plus ART and bleomycin and vincristine plus ART, supporting its use in treating advanced AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma in resource-limited settings. US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Investigators examined whether the intensity of treatment can be reduced in patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma without compromising antitumor efficacy. In a comparison of two with four cycles of ABVD chemotherapy plus either 20 or 30 Gy of involved-field radiation therapy, no significant differences were noted in disease-free or overall survival between the most and the least intensive regimens. Radiation therapy was the original mainstay of treatment for patients who had early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma with a favorable prognosis. With the use of such techniques as extended-field radiation therapy and total lymphoid irradiation, more than 80% of patients with localized disease became long-term survivors. However, the relapse rate with radiation therapy alone ranged from 20 to 40%, 1 – 3 and extended-field radiation therapy and total lymphoid irradiation were associated with the occurrence of secondary solid tumors. 4 – 8 The integration of a chemotherapy regimen consisting of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) 9 with radiation therapy resulted in greater efficacy and allowed the . . .

A high proportion of patients with relapsed classical Hodgkin's lymphoma achieve a response with the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin, and the drug is well tolerated. We modified the escalated BEACOPP regimen (eBEACOPP; bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) and implemented brentuximab vedotin with the aim to reduce toxic effects while maintaining the protocol's efficacy. We did an open-label, multicentre, randomised phase 2 study at 20 study sites in Germany. Adult patients (aged 18–60 years) with newly diagnosed, advanced, classical Hodgkin's lymphoma were randomly assigned (1:1) to treatment with six cycles of either BrECAPP (brentuximab vedotin 1·8 mg/kg on day 1, etoposide 200 mg/m2 on days 2–4, doxorubicin 35 mg/m2 on day 2, cyclophosphamide 1250 mg/m2 on day 2, procarbazine 100 mg/m2 on days 2–8, and prednisone 40 mg/m2 on days 2–15) or BrECADD (brentuximab vedotin 1·8 mg/kg on day 1, etoposide 150 mg/m2 on days 2–4, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 on day 2, cyclophosphamide 1250 mg/m2 on day 2, dacarbazine 250 mg/m2 on days 3–4, and dexamethasone 40 mg on days 2–5). Randomisation was done centrally by stratified minimisation, with study site and sex as stratification factors. The co-primary endpoints were complete response to chemotherapy and complete remission at the end of treatment, which were assessed by intention to treat. Patients who were found not to meet inclusion criteria after randomisation or without restaging data after two cycles of study treatment were excluded from the primary endpoint analysis. All patients who started study treatment were assessable for safety. This report presents the final analysis at a median follow-up of 17 months (IQR 13·2–21·5). The preplanned 2-year follow-up analysis is yet to be reported. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01569204. Between Oct 26, 2012, and May 15, 2014, 104 patients were enrolled to the study (52 were assigned to each study arm). Two patients dropped out before the start of study treatment because of acute infection (n=1) and withdrawal of consent (n=1) and one patient was excluded because of intermediate-stage disease (all were assigned BrECAPP). 42 (86%, 95% CI 73–94) of 49 patients assigned BrECAPP achieved a complete response after chemotherapy and 46 (94%, 95% CI 83–99) had complete remission as their final treatment outcome. In the BrECADD group, 46 (88%, 95% CI 77–96) of 52 patients achieved both a complete response after chemotherapy and complete remission as their final treatment outcome. 58 serious adverse events were reported, 32 events in 21 of 50 patients who received BrECAPP and 26 events in 18 of 52 patients who received BrECADD. The most common grade 3–4 toxic effects were haematological adverse events (91 [89%] of 102 patients). Grade 3–4 organ toxic effects were reported in seven (17%) of 42 patients assigned BrECAPP and two (4%) of 46 allocated BrECADD. 16 (32%) of 50 patients assigned BrECAPP and 18 (35%) of 52 allocated BrECADD had grade 1–2 peripheral neuropathy, and one (2%) patient assigned BrECAPP developed grade 3 peripheral neuropathy; all but one case (allocated BrECAPP) resolved. No deaths were reported during the follow-up period. Both eBEACOPP variants met the co-primary efficacy endpoints. Particularly, the BrECADD regimen was associated with a more favourable toxicity profile and was, therefore, selected to challenge standard eBEACOPP for the treatment of advanced classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in the phase 3 HD21 study by the German Hodgkin Study Group (NCT02661503), which aims to further reduce treatment-related morbidity. Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

In patients with limited-stage Hodgkin's disease, ABVD chemotherapy alone resulted in a higher rate of long-term (12-year) survival than either radiation therapy alone or radiation therapy plus ABVD chemotherapy, with significantly fewer late treatment-related deaths. Twenty years ago, the standard strategy in the case of patients with stage IA or IIA nonbulky Hodgkin's lymphoma included staging by means of laparotomy and subtotal nodal radiation therapy. 1 , 2 With this treatment, 70 to 80% of patients were cured, but they remained at risk for premature death from late radiation-induced adverse effects, including second cancers and cardiovascular disease. 3 – 6 Subsequent clinical trials showed that combining radiation with chemotherapy eliminated the need for staging laparotomy, allowed for reduced doses and target volumes of radiation, and resulted in long-term control of the disease for 90% of the patients. 7 – 11 A . . .

BEACOPP combination chemotherapy was compared with ABVD chemotherapy in advanced Hodgkin's disease. BEACOPP therapy was associated with higher initial rates of complete response and freedom from relapse but also with more short-term and long-term toxic effects. The regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) was introduced in the mid-1970s as treatment for advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma 1 and became the standard of treatment for this disease after trials showed that ABVD was as effective as, or more effective than, the regimen of mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP), with fewer toxic effects. 2 More recently, the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group (GHSG) has developed a front-line intensified regimen consisting of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (escalated BEACOPP regimen, which includes higher-than-standard doses of etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide). This regimen, as compared with COPP-ABVD, has been . . .

BrECADD (brentuximab vedotin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, dacarbazine, and dexamethasone) has shown higher efficacy and better acute tolerability than eBEACOPP (escalated doses of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) in newly diagnosed, advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma. In this secondary analysis of the HD21 trial, we aimed to compare gonadal function recovery and fertility outcomes between these two regimens. In the multicentre, parallel, open-label, phase 3 HD21 trial, conducted across 233 trial sites in nine countries, patients aged 18–60 years with newly diagnosed, advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2 were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 4–6 cycles of eBEACOPP or BrECADD, guided by interim response. Patients and investigators were not masked to treatment assignment. Primary outcomes were progression-free survival and treatment-related morbidity (reported elsewhere). Here we report an unplanned analysis of fertility outcomes. Fertility outcomes included gonadal function recovery (via follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] concentrations), concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH; women only) and inhibin B (men only), frequencies of pregnancies, and incidence of parenthood. Gonadal function recovery, AMH, and inhibin B were assessed in the patients of childbearing potential (POCBP) cohort, which included women younger than 40 years and men younger than 50 years without baseline gonadal dysfunction. Pregnancy and parenthood analyses also included patients with baseline gonadal dysfunction. The HD21 trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02661503) and is ongoing but closed to enrolment. Between July 22, 2016, and Aug 27, 2020, 1183 POCBP were enrolled (592 in the eBEACOPP group, 591 in the BrECADD group; 692 men, 491 women). FSH measurements were available for 767 patients (420 men and 347 women). Median follow-up was 49·6 months (IQR 39·7–58·4). BrECADD was associated with significantly higher 4-year gonadal function recovery rates compared with eBEACOPP (95·3% [95% CI 92·0–98·8] in the BrECADD group vs 73·3% [66·9–80·4] in the eBEACOPP group, HR 1·69 [95% CI 1·34–2·14] in women; 85·6% [80·8–90·8] vs 39·7% [33·6–46·9], HR 3·28 [2·51–4·30] in men). AMH and inhibin B concentrations were generally higher in the BrECADD group compared with the eBEACOPP group. A total of 92 pregnancies were reported among female patients, and 36 among partners of male patients. These led to 108 reported childbirths in 99 patients (59 in the BrECADD group and 40 in the eBEACOPP group). After therapy, 5-year incidence of parenthood was significantly higher in men (9·3% [95% CI 6·0–14·5] vs 3·3% [1·7–6·5], p=0·014), but not significantly higher in women (19·3% [13·7–27·3] vs 17·1% [11·9–24·6], p=0·53) with BrECADD versus eBEACOPP. Compared with eBEACOPP, BrECADD led to significantly better gonadal function recovery, as well as higher parenthood rates (significantly so in men). These findings support BrECADD as preferred first-line therapy, especially for patients wishing to preserve fertility. Takeda Oncology.