No abstract

Identification of prognostic factors for patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is essential for optimizing therapy with risk-adapted approaches. In our phase 2 study of positron emission tomography (PET)-adapted salvage therapy with brentuximab vedotin (BV) and augmented ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (augICE), we assessed clinical factors, quantitative PET assessments, and cytokine and chemokine values. Transplant-eligible patients with relapsed/refractory HL received 2 (cohort 1) or 3 (cohort 2) cycles of weekly BV; PET-negative patients (Deauville score ≤2) proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) whereas PET-positive patients received augICE before ASCT. Serum cytokine and chemokine levels were measured at baseline and after BV. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis were measured at baseline, after BV, and after augICE. Sixty-five patients enrolled (45, cohort 1; 20, cohort 2); 49 (75%) achieved complete response and 64 proceeded to ASCT. Three-year overall survival and event-free survival (EFS) were 95% and 82%, respectively. Factors predictive for EFS by multivariable analysis were baseline MTV (bMTV) ( < .001) and refractory disease ( = .003). Low bMTV (<109.5 cm) and relapsed disease identified a favorable group (3-year EFS, 100%). For patients who received a transplant, bMTV and pre-ASCT PET were independently prognostic; 3-year EFS for pre-ASCT PET-positive patients with low bMTV was 86%. In this phase 2 study of PET-adapted therapy with BV and augICE for relapsed/refractory HL, bMTV and refractory disease were independent prognostic factors for EFS. Furthermore, bMTV improved the predictive power of pre-ASCT PET. Future studies should optimize efficacy and tolerability of salvage therapy by stratifying patients according to risk factors such as bMTV.

GHSG HD10 NCT00265018, HD11 NCT00264953, HD12 NCT00265031, HD13 ISRCTN63474366, HD14 ISRCTN04761296, HD15 ISRCTN32443041 and HDR2 NCT00025636.

Key Points• BV and AVD followed by ISRT is well tolerated, without significant pulmonary toxicity. • BV and AVD followed by ISRT is an effective therapy for unfavorable-risk early stage HL, including bulky disease.This multicenter pilot study assessed the safety and efficacy of brentuximab vedotin (BV) and AVD (adriamycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) followed by 30 Gy involved site radiation therapy (ISRT). Patients with newly diagnosed, early stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) with unfavorable-risk features were treated with 4 cycles of BV and AVD.Patients who achieved a negative positron emission tomography (PET) scan (Deauville score of 1-3) received 30 Gy ISRT. Thirty patients received treatment and were assessable for toxicity. Twenty-nine patients completed 4 cycles of BV 1 AVD, and 25 patients BV 1 AVD 1 30 Gy ISRT. No clinically significant noninfectious pneumonitis was observed. Serious adverse events ( ‡grade 3) were reported in 4 patients, including febrile neutropenia, peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension. After 2 and 4 cycles of BV 1 AVD, 90% (26 of 29) and 93% (27 or 29) of patients achieved a negative PET scan, respectively. Two patients with biopsy-proven primary refractory HL were treated off-study. All 25 patients who completed BV 1 AVD 1 ISRT achieved a complete response. With a median follow-up of 18.8 months, by intent to treat, the 1-year progression-free survival is 93.3% (95% confidence interval, 84-102). Overall, the treatment was well-tolerated with no evidence of significant pulmonary toxicity. The majority of patients ( ‡90%) achieved negative interim PET scans after 2 and 4 cycles of BV 1 AVD. Excluding the 2 primary refractory patients, all patients are disease free, suggesting that this is a highly active treatment program even in patients with substantial disease bulk. This trial was

In the postrituximab era, approximately half of the patients with relapsed or refractory (rel/ref) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) fail to achieve a chemosensitive response to standard salvage therapy, and are thus ineligible to proceed to autologous stem cell transplantation with curative intent. The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib demonstrates single-agent activity in rel/ref DLBCL, particularly of non-germinal center (non-GC) cell of origin. We conducted a single-center phase 1 study evaluating dose-escalated ibrutinib, in a 3-by-3 design, in combination with rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (R-ICE) in physiologically transplant-eligible rel/ref DLBCL patients. Twenty-one patients have been treated and are evaluable for toxicity with no dose-limiting toxicities observed through expansion with ibrutinib at 840 mg daily at dose level 3. Of the 20 patients evaluable for response, per modern International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma criteria, 11 patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 7 patients achieved partial remission for an overall response rate of 90%. All evaluable patients with non-GC DLBCL achieved a metabolic CR. Ibrutinib in combination with R-ICE demonstrates tolerability and efficacy in rel/ref DLBCL, particularly of non-GC phenotype. This treatment program warrants further investigation in later-phase studies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02219737.