There are two chemotherapy backbone strategies for front-line management of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma—ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) and BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone).
A high proportion of patients with relapsed classical Hodgkin's lymphoma have been noted to achieve a response with the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin, and the drug is well tolerated. In this phase II study, the researchers modified the escalated BEACOPP regimen and implemented brentuximab vedotin with the aim to reduce toxic effects while maintaining the protocol's efficacy.
A commentary suggests “what is clear from these findings is that brentuximab vedotin will integrate into front-line chemotherapy platforms. The GHSG has chosen the BrECADD regimen to be the challenger to eBEACOPP in its ongoing randomised phase 3 trial, HD21 and the results of this trial are awaited.”