A reformulation of the multiple cancer drugs in the combination treatment known as BEACOPP boosted progression-free survival vs the original therapy in adult patients with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, a large, open-label, phase 3 trial found.
As Dr Borchmann explained at the briefing, Hodgkin lymphoma is the most common cancer among young adults."The median age at onset is around 30 years, and it can be primarily cured with chemotherapy. Intensified chemotherapy probably is better primary lymphoma control than less intensive treatment, but this comes at the cost of treatment-related adverse events."
In the international HD21 trial , researchers recruited patients aged 18-60 who received four or six cycles of either BEACOPP or BrECADD. The doses were guided by PET2 findings.There were few early treatment failures in the BrECADD group vs BEACOPP. The numbers who had primary progression within the first 3 months were 5 vs 15, respectively, and the numbers reaching early relapse between months 3 and 12 were 11 vs 23, respectively.