Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system that affects about 8,000 people in the US each year. Most people diagnosed today are cured with chemotherapy, radiation, or both. Research now focuses on reducing treatment toxicity for people with early-stage disease and finding better options for the small percentage whose cancer returns.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab and pembrolizumab, antibody-drug conjugates like brentuximab vedotin, and CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed disease. Researchers are also studying ways to reduce chemotherapy intensity for people with favorable early-stage disease and testing combinations that spare radiation to lower long-term heart and lung risks.
Checkpoint inhibitors
PD-1 blockers like nivolumab work well in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma, where the cancer cells often hide from the immune system. Trials now test whether adding them to initial treatment improves outcomes or allows less chemotherapy.
Reduced-intensity treatment
Studies are testing whether people with early-stage, favorable Hodgkin lymphoma can skip radiation or receive fewer chemotherapy cycles. The goal is to maintain high cure rates while reducing risks like heart disease and second cancers decades later.
CAR T-cell therapy
After success in other blood cancers, CAR T is now being tested in Hodgkin lymphoma that has stopped responding to standard treatments. Early results show promise for people who have few other options.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease stage, whether the lymphoma is newly diagnosed or relapsed, prior treatments received, and response to recent therapy measured by PET scan.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drug combinations or sequences, often comparing standard chemotherapy regimens to approaches that add checkpoint inhibitors or antibody-drug conjugates.
- De-escalation trials — Testing whether people with early-stage disease can receive less treatment—fewer chemotherapy cycles or no radiation—while keeping cure rates high.
- Relapsed disease trials — Testing CAR T-cell therapy, new checkpoint inhibitor combinations, or stem cell transplant approaches for lymphoma that has returned after initial treatment.
- Biomarker studies — Using PET scans and blood tests to predict who needs more or less intensive treatment based on how quickly the cancer responds.
- Survivorship studies — Following people years after treatment to understand and prevent late effects like heart disease, lung problems, and second cancers.
Recently added Hodgkin Lymphoma trials
Receive proton therapy for chest lymphoma
The study aims to investigate whether proton therapy is feasible in a national setting and whether proton therapy can reduce the risk of late toxicity (secondary cancers and heart toxicity) compared to foton therapy.
Complete diagnostic tests for lymphoma and Castleman disease
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), lymphadenopathy often portends one of a number of life-threatening diseases including tuberculosis, lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman disease (MCD). Overcoming these delays and missed diagnoses requires new approaches to identify lymphoma and MCD.
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