Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, affecting about 8,000 people each year in the United States. Most people are cured with chemotherapy and radiation, but roughly 10-15% either don't respond to first treatment or have the cancer return. Research now focuses on sparing people from harsh chemotherapy side effects and finding better options for disease that comes back.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab and pembrolizumab, which train the immune system to attack lymphoma cells. Antibody-drug conjugates like brentuximab vedotin deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy is being studied for people whose disease has returned multiple times. Researchers are also testing ways to reduce radiation exposure and whether PET scans can guide who needs less treatment.
Checkpoint inhibitors
Drugs like nivolumab and pembrolizumab are approved for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and are now being tested earlier in treatment. Some trials are exploring whether they can replace harsh chemotherapy regimens in newly diagnosed disease.
Treatment de-escalation
Studies are using PET scans after initial chemotherapy to identify who can skip radiation or receive less intensive treatment. The goal is to cure people while reducing long-term risks like heart disease and second cancers.
CAR T-cell therapy
Researchers are testing whether genetically modified immune cells can cure Hodgkin lymphoma that has returned after multiple treatments. Early results show promise for people who have run out of other options.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease stage, prior treatments received, how well the lymphoma responded to initial therapy, and overall health status.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drug combinations or schedules, often comparing standard chemotherapy regimens to approaches that include checkpoint inhibitors or antibody-drug conjugates.
- De-escalation trials — Testing whether people with favorable early-stage disease can be cured with less chemotherapy or radiation, guided by PET scan results.
- Relapsed disease trials — Studies for people whose lymphoma has returned, testing CAR T-cell therapy, new drug combinations, or stem cell transplant approaches.
- Survivorship studies — Following people after successful treatment to understand and reduce long-term side effects like heart damage, infertility, and second cancers.
- Biomarker studies — Using blood tests, imaging, or tumor samples to predict who will respond to treatment and who needs more aggressive therapy.
Recently added Hodgkin Lymphoma trials
Share your medical history and provide blood samples for lymphoma research
The goal of this observational cohort study is to learn how toxin and occupational exposures, germline genetic variation, and immune dysregulation relate to B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma among active-duty service members and other Military Health System beneficiaries. The main questions are whether specific exposures and germline variants are associated with B-cell NHL subtype, immune dysfunction, and clinical outcomes. Participants will complete exposure and medical-history surveys, provide biospecimens for immune and genomic testing, and may be followed annually for up to 3 years.
A Prospective Clinical Study on Reduced-intensity Radiotherapy for Stage I/II Low-risk Nasal-type NK/T-cell Lymphoma Achieving Complete Remission After Chemotherapy
This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of reduced-intensity radiotherapy for stage I/II low-risk nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma that has achieved complete remission after chemotherapy.
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