A Review of Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Era of Checkpoint Inhibitors

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a hematopoietic malignancy of B-cells that has a bimodal distribution with respect to age and incidence. With the introduction of doxorubicin (Adriamycin), bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) and radiation combined, the prognosis of HL has significantly improved, with five-year survival rates approaching 95%. While HL has become highly curable, the side effect profiles of ABVD are dire and warrant continuous review. Because HL is often diagnosed in populations in their 20s-30s, patients are forced to undergo fertility preservation procedures as well as deal with other long-term side effects of chemotherapy (including doxorubicin dose-dependent cardiotoxicity and bleomycin-induced lung toxicity). The opportunity cost of the treatment in the short term and vulnerability to treatment-induced malignancies decades later dramatically affect the quality of life of HL patients. New therapies have developed over the past several decades with respect to immunotherapies, particularly programmed death protein 1 inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab and pembrolizumab). Studies have shown checkpoint inhibitors to be effective in treating HL with an objective response rate of 69% for relapsed/refractory classical HL for nivolumab use. Checkpoint inhibitors will continue to help maintain the high five-year survival rate for HL and hopefully have a more favorable side effect profile in the short term, as well as later in the patient's life. This article seeks to summarize treatment options for HL while comparing outcomes and side effect profiles with the addition of checkpoint inhibitors.