Dr. Horwitz Discusses the Results of the ECHELON-2 Study

Steven M. Horwitz, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the results of the ECHELON-2 study in patients with CD30+ peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL).

In this phase III study of patients with CD30-expressing PTCL, the addition of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) to chemotherapy led to a clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. The primary endpoint was PFS per blinded independent central review.

Findings showed a 29% reduction in the risk of disease progression, a 34% reduction in the risk of death, and a 3-year PFS rate of 57.1% versus 44% with CHOP. PFS benefit was generally observed across all patient subgroups, most notably in patients with ALK-positive systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin was approved by the FDA in November 2018 for the frontline treatment of patients with CD30-expressing PTCL in combination with chemotherapy. Previously, the frontline standard of care for patients with PTCL has been CHOP or a CHOP-like regimen with curative intent.