Dr. Kuruvilla on the Treatment Landscape in Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

John Kuruvilla, MD, FRCPC, clinician investigator, Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, discusses the treatment landscape in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Over the past decade, the armamentarium of relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma has expanded, says Kuruvilla.

Early efficacy data with lenalidomide (Revlimid), mTOR inhibitors, and HDAC inhibitors like panobinostat were promising, explains Kuruvilla.

However, the approvals of the PD-1 inhibitors nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) led to a drastic shift in the management of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Additionally, the approval of the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with chemotherapy has had a significant impact on the treatment paradigm of patients with stage III or IV classical disease. 

Going forward, these active agents may be moved into the frontline setting to offer potentially curative options for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, concludes Kuruvilla.