Bleomycin for Older Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients: Proceed with Caution

Patients ≥60 years old are at high risk for pulmonary toxicity if treated with more than 2 cycles of bleomycin-containing chemotherapy.

Greater treatment-related toxicity leads to poorer outcomes and lower survival in older adults with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group has now performed a retrospective analysis of two prior randomized prospective trials (HD10; N Engl J Med 2010; 363:640; and HD13; Lancet 2015; 385:1418) to compare the toxicity of HL treatment regimens in 287 previously untreated patients ≥60 years old (median age, 65) with classical HL. Patients received 2 or 4 cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine sulfate, and dacarbazine) or 2 cycles of AVD (doxorubicin, vinblastine sulfate, and dacarbazine).

Premature treatment discontinuation occurred in 2 of 82 patients (2%) who received 2 cycles of AVD, 5 of 137 (4%) who recei…

Reviewing Author

Michael E. Williams, MD, ScM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee

Michael E. Williams, MD, ScM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee

Bleomycin for Older Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients: Proceed with Caution

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Reviewing Author