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Nivolumab discontinuation and retreatment in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma

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Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have demonstrated high therapeutic efficacy in relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r cHL). Nevertheless, despite the accumulated data, the question of the ICI therapy duration and efficacy of nivolumab retreatment remains unresolved. In this retrospective study, in a cohort of 23 adult patients with r/r cHL who discontinued nivolumab in complete response (CR), the possibility of durable remission achievement (2-year PFS was 55.1%) was demonstrated. Retreatment with nivolumab has demonstrated efficacy with high overall response rate (ORR) and CR (67% and 33.3% respectively). At the final analysis, all patients were alive with median PFS of 16.5 months. Grade 3–4 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 36% of patients, and there was no deterioration in terms of nivolumab retreatment–associated complications.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Alexander Kulagin, Ilya Kazantzev, and Vladislav Evseev for assistance with manuscript preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RM Gorbacheva Research Institute, Pavlov University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

    Liudmila V. Fedorova, Kirill V. Lepik, Natalia B. Mikhailova, Elena V. Kondakova, Yuri R. Zalyalov, Vadim V. Baykov, Elena V. Babenko, Andrey V. Kozlov, Ivan S. Moiseev & Boris V. Afanasyev

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  1. Liudmila V. Fedorova
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  2. Kirill V. Lepik
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  3. Natalia B. Mikhailova
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  4. Elena V. Kondakova
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Contributions

Conception and design: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB, Moiseev IS, Afanasyev BV

Provision of study materials or patients: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB, Kondakova EV, Zalyalov YR, Kozlov AV, Babenko EV, Baykov VV

Collection and assembly of data: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB, Kondakova EV, Zalyalov YR, Kozlov AV

Data analysis and interpretation: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB, Kondakova EV, Moiseev IS, Afanasyev BV.

Manuscript writing: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB

Final approval of manuscript: all authors

Accountable for all aspects of the work: Fedorova LV, Lepik KV, Mikhailova NB

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liudmila V. Fedorova.

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This study was performed in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and approved by the institutional review board. All enrolled patients gave written informed consent.

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Fedorova, L.V., Lepik, K.V., Mikhailova, N.B. et al. Nivolumab discontinuation and retreatment in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Ann Hematol 100, 691–698 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-021-04429-8

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