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Updated: May 23, 2026
08:53
Flow-sorting and Exome Sequencing of the Reed-Sternberg Cells of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Published on: June 10, 2017
Older Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Contemporary Review
Meghana Subramanian1, Andrew Evens, Joanna M Rhodes
1Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ.
Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.)
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Older patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) benefit from tailored chemotherapy. Brentuximab vedotin (BV)-AVD and N-AVD show promise, with N-AVD offering improved tolerability and quality of life in this population.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Older adults (>60 years) with advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) face poorer outcomes due to comorbidities and chemotherapy intolerance.
- Anthracycline-based chemotherapy offers curative intent, but toxicity mitigation is crucial for treatment continuation in elderly patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of novel frontline chemotherapy regimens in older patients with advanced-stage cHL.
- To assess the impact of treatment strategies, including targeted therapies, on survival and quality of life in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a subset of older patients from the S1826 study treated with nivolumab (N)-AVD compared to brentuximab vedotin (BV)-AVD.
- Longitudinal assessment of patient-reported quality of life (QOL) and physician-reported toxicities.
Main Results:
- N-AVD demonstrated an overall survival (OS) benefit in older patients with advanced cHL, with an acceptable toxicity profile.
- Patients receiving BV-AVD reported higher rates of neuropathy, diarrhea, and arthralgias/myalgias compared to those on N-AVD.
- N-AVD showed a favorable self-reported tolerability and physician-reported toxicity profile.
Conclusions:
- N-AVD is emerging as a preferred frontline therapy for older patients with advanced-stage cHL due to improved tolerability and QOL.
- Comprehensive geriatric assessments and targeted therapies like BV and nivolumab are advancing personalized treatment approaches for elderly cHL patients.
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