Based on the latest results of the HD14 trial, the treatment standard
for patients with newly diagnosed intermediate stage Hodgkin lymphoma is a
combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, consisting of 2 cycles of
escalated BEACOPP and 2 cycles of ABVD followed by 30 Gy IF (involved field)
radiotherapy. In the HD17 trial, the treatment response after 4 cycles of
chemotherapy is investigated by means of FDG-PET. Patients randomized into the
standard arm receive IF radiotherapy according to standard, independent of
their FDG-PET result. Patients randomized into the experimental arm do not
receive any further therapy if their PET is negative, and patients with a
positive PET receive IN (involved node) radiotherapy.
This trial is designed to determine whether radiotherapy can possibly be
omitted in low-risk patients after chemotherapy. Besides, by using the newly
developed IN radiotherapy procedure (in which the radiation fields are smaller
and more targeted), it is also expected to achieve further minimization of
acute and late toxicities of radiotherapy in the group of patients with a
higher risk, while maintaining treatment efficacy.
The trial is anticipated to start in fall 2011. Documents relating to
HD17 can be found here.
Read more … HD17
