Advocate Children’s Hospital has joined a clinical trial for children with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma.
The study will determine whether a combination chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment is as effective as the standard chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. The study also compares the frequency of both short-term and long-term toxicity from each treatment regimen to see whether immunotherapy has fewer side effects.
The trial, “A Randomized Phase 3 Interim Response Adapted Trial Comparing Standard Therapy with Immuno-oncology Therapy for Children and Adults with Newly Diagnosed Stage I and II Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (AHOD2131),” is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and led by the Children’s Oncology Group of the National Clinical Trials Network.
“This is a long-term study that aims to follow the health of these kids and young adults for 12 years after their cancer is first eliminated,” said pediatric oncologist Rebecca McFall, MD, Advocate Aurora Research Institute’s principal investigator for the study. “Hodgkin patients must not only be monitored for relapse of their disease but also for the long-term side effects of their prior treatments. These burdens can hang over the patient and their family’s heads for years as they go through adolescence, attend college, get jobs and even start their own families. We know for higher risk Hodgkin patients, immunotherapies have been effective at putting this disease into remission and have reduced the need for radiation therapy. We want to know whether immunotherapy will be just as effective, or maybe more effective, than standard chemotherapy at treating lower risk Hodgkin patients and with fewer long-term side effects. It’s critically important that we find better ways to prevent Hodgkin lymphoma from returning without worsening these patients’ long-term health and peace of mind.”
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes and affects the body’s lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. It is one of the most treatable forms of cancer and is one of the most common malignancies in adolescents and young adults.
The standard treatment for pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma is four cycles of chemotherapy. For children whose cancer responds well to the chemotherapy and quickly goes into remission, the cancer is typically less likely to return. For children whose cancer responds slowly to the chemotherapy and takes longer to go into remission, more therapy – such as additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy – is often needed to maintain that remission.
The clinical trial will assess the investigational treatment combination of two immunotherapy drugs called brentuximab vedotin and nivolumab.
“Previous studies have strongly suggested that adding immunotherapy to the standard treatment for children with Hodgkin lymphoma can increase the chance for survival and also decrease the need for radiation therapy or additional chemotherapy and their associated side effects,” said Melissa Kadar, Director of the Research Institute’s Center of Excellence in Cancer Research.
Researchers plan to enroll approximately 1,875 participants between the ages of 5 and 60 years old. Advocate Children’s Hospital will enroll eligible children and young adults ages 5 and older. The trial will also enroll participants in all eligible age groups at Advocate Health Care cancer clinics throughout Illinois and Aurora Health Care cancer clinics throughout Wisconsin.
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