Dose-dense chemotherapy enables elimination of RT for the majority of low-risk pediatric Hodgkin lymphomas: PHC study HOD08

J Jamie E. Flerlage A Angela M. Feraco (3Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA) Y Yiwang Zhou (4Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN) Y Ying Zheng J Jia Liang J John T. Lucas A Alison M. Friedmann (6Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA) H Howard J. Weinstein (7Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA) T Torunn I. Yock (6Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA) B Barry Shulkin (8Department of Radiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN) S Sue C. Kaste (8Department of Radiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN) L Lianna J. Marks M Matthew J. Ehrhardt S Stephanie B. Dixon S Scott Howard (10Resonance, Memphis, TN) P Pedro de Alarcon (12Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, Peoria, IL) S Sandra Luna-Fineman (13Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Colorado, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO) A Amy Geddis (14Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA) E Eric C. Larsen (15Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Scarborough, ME) K Karen Marcus (16Division of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA) A Amy L. Billett (3Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA) S Sarah S. Donaldson (17Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA) M Melissa M. Hudson M Monika L. Metzger (1Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN) M Matthew J. Krasin (5Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN) M Michael P. Link (9Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA)

Abstract

Abstract The Pediatric Hodgkin Consortium hypothesized that by increasing chemotherapeutic dose density for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) they could increase the complete response (CR) rate among patients with favorable-risk HL after 8 weeks of Stanford V (vinblastine, doxorubicin, vincristine, bleomycin, mechlorethamine, etoposide and prednisone) compared with 8 weeks of VAMP (vinblastine, Adriamycin [doxorubicin], methotrexate, and prednisone). This would translate to a decrease in patients who required radiation therapy (RT) to achieve a cure. The HOD08 study was a phase 2 multicenter, investigator-initiated single-arm trial for patients aged ≤21 years with previously untreated stage 1A or 2A HL without mediastinal bulk or extranodal disease extension and <3 sites of disease. Treatment consisted of a modified 8-week Stanford V regimen. Modified, tailored, field RT was administered only to disease sites achieving less than a CR. The primary objective was to increase CR rate after 8 weeks of chemotherapy by at least 20% (from an estimated 44% to 64%) compared with patients treated on a previous trial (HOD99). HOD08 enrolled 85 patients with HL and 72 were evaluable for the primary objective, of whom 55 (76.4%) achieved a CR at all sites and did not receive RT. The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival rates for the entire cohort were 87.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.4-95.0) and 98.7% (95% CI, 96.2-100), respectively. A dose-dense modified Stanford V regimen reduced the proportion of pediatric patients with low-risk HL who received RT while maintaining excellent outcomes. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00846742.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 147, Issue 12
Published March 19, 2026
Pages 1289-1301
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (26)

J

Jamie E. Flerlage

A

Angela M. Feraco

3Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

Y

Yiwang Zhou

4Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

Y

Ying Zheng

J

Jia Liang

J

John T. Lucas

A

Alison M. Friedmann

6Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

H

Howard J. Weinstein

7Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

T

Torunn I. Yock

6Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

B

Barry Shulkin

8Department of Radiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

S

Sue C. Kaste

8Department of Radiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

L

Lianna J. Marks

M

Matthew J. Ehrhardt

S

Stephanie B. Dixon

S

Scott Howard

10Resonance, Memphis, TN

P

Pedro de Alarcon

12Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, Peoria, IL

S

Sandra Luna-Fineman

13Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Colorado, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO

A

Amy Geddis

14Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA

E

Eric C. Larsen

15Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Scarborough, ME

K

Karen Marcus

16Division of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

A

Amy L. Billett

3Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

S

Sarah S. Donaldson

17Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

M

Melissa M. Hudson

M

Monika L. Metzger

1Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

M

Matthew J. Krasin

5Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

M

Michael P. Link

9Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA