Study of brentuximab vedotin combination treatment in people with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: a plain language summary

Plain Language SummaryWhat is this summary about?This summary shares results from part C of a study called SGN35-027. In this part of the study, researchers looked at treatment with the combination of 4 medicines called brentuximab vedotin (BV), nivolumab, doxorubicin, and dacarbazine. In this summary, this treatment is called the BV combination. The BV combination was studied in people with early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The goal was to learn how well this treatment worked and what side effects people had while taking it.What were the results?In this study, 154 people with nonbulky, early-stage cHL took the BV combination treatment. Most people (148 out of 154, or 96%) had their cancer shrink or become undetectable (could not be seen) on scans. Cancer became undetectable on scans for 141 out of 154 people (92%). Most people (149 out of 154, or 97%) had side effects related to the BV combination. 52 out of 154 people (34%) had severe or life-threatening side effects related to the treatment.What do the findings of the study mean?This study looked at treatment with the combination of BV, nivolumab, doxorubicin, and dacarbazine in people with early-stage cHL. Most people had their cancer shrink or become undetectable on scans. Nearly all people had side effects from the combination, and one-third of them experienced severe or life-threatening side effects. These results support further study of this treatment in people with early-stage cHL.Clinical trial number: NCT03646123