Wikimedia Commons / Humpath
Research has shown that brentuximab vedotin, an immunotherapy targeting CD30 on tumour cells, extends the limited options available for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who have relapsed or progressed following autologous stem-cell transplantation.
In a report published in Blood (online, 18 July 2016)[1]
, researchers who carried out this initial phase II trial followed up the 102 participants over five years.
They found that among the 34 patients who achieved a complete response, 13 (38%) have remained in remission for more than five years, suggesting they may have been cured, and 9 of the patients required no additional cancer treatment, such as donor stem cell transplant, during that time.
The team says the results provide a new perspective on prognosis for patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and challenge the view that donor stem cell transplant is the only option for long-term disease control.
References
[1] Chen R, Gopal AK, Smith SE et al. Five-year survival and durability results of brentuximab vedotin in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood 2016. doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-02-699850
