What are Treatment Options for Recurrent Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma?

What are Treatment Options for Recurrent Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Treatment of recurrent classic Hodgkin lymphoma in adults may include the following:

• Targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody (brentuximab).
• Combination chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. Radiation therapy may be given if cancer remains after treatment. Targeted therapy (brentuximab) may be given after stem cell transplant.
• Immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (nivolumab or pembrolizumab).
• Combination chemotherapy.
• Combination chemotherapy with radiation therapy to the areas of the body with cancer for patients older than 60 years.
• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy, for patients whose cancer came back only in the lymph nodes.
• Chemotherapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

For information about the treatments listed above, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Use the clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.