Dr. Hutchings on the Aim of the ECHELON-1 Study in Hodgkin Lymphoma

Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD, staff specialist, Department of Hematology, Finsen Centre, National Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, discusses the aim of the ECHELON-1 study in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).

The randomized, phase III ECHELON-1 study is evaluating brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) plus chemotherapy in patients with high-risk advanced-stage cHL. Primary results showed a statistically significant improvement in modified progression-free survival in patients with stage III and stage IV cHL who received frontline brentuximab vedotin plus doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (A+AVD).

In a prespecified subgroup analysis presented at the 2018 European Hematology Association Congress, frontline A+AVD is favorable to standard doxorubicin (Adriamycin), bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) in high-risk patients. With ABVD, roughly 25% to 30% of patients fail treatment, says Hutchings, so there is room for improvement. Additionally, bleomycin is a very toxic therapy, and this approach would spare patients of those adverse events.