MRD-2 in the GHSG HD21 trial assessed by a validated circulating tumor DNA sequencing assay

J Jan-Michel Heger (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) J Julia Mattlener (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) H Helen Kaul (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) J Justin Ferdinandus (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) J Jessica Schneider (Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology) J Julia K. Schleifenbaum (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) G Gundolf Schneider (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany) V Valdete Schaub (6Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany) M Mathias Hänel (7Department III of Internal Medicine, Klinikum Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany) J Johannes C. Hellmuth (8Department of Medicine III, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany) J Judith Dierlamm (9University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) S Sonja Martin (10Department of Hematology and Oncology, Robert Bosch Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany) S Stephan Mathas J Julia Meissner (2Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany) D D. Michiel Pegtel (15Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers and Department of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) J Josée M. Zijlstra A Anna Ossowski (17West German Genome Center and Cologne Center for Genomics, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany) K Kerstin Becker M Michael Hallek (Department I of Internal Medicine, Center of Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany) B Bastian von Tresckow (1Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, and German Hodgkin Study Group, Cologne, Germany) P Peter Borchmann (Uniklinik Koeln, Koeln, Germany) S Sven Borchmann (1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany)

Abstract

Abstract Beyond cure, major goals in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are tailoring treatment to a patient’s individual risk for relapse to reduce acute and late toxicities, identifying candidates for early incorporation of novel agents, and making treatment affordable on a global level. Minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment by circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) sequencing emerged as a promising strategy to achieve these goals; however, previous studies differed in sampling time points, assay validation, and definitions for MRD negativity. Here, we applied LymphoVista, a validated ctDNA sequencing assay for genotyping and MRD monitoring in lymphoma, to samples obtained from the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) HD21 trial after 2 cycles of treatment (MRD-2) using a case-cohort design. Patients with positive MRD-2 result were at higher risk for relapse, progression, or death compared with MRD-2–negative patients (4-year progression-free survival [PFS], 36.7% vs 82.2%; hazard ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-13.8; P = .0008). After inverse probability weighting accounting for the number of events in the full reference set, patients with positive and negative MRD-2 results had 4-year PFS rates of 72.2% vs 95.3%. Combining MRD-2 with positron emission tomography after 2 cycles of BrECADD/eBEACOPP (PET-2) can identify patients at very low and patients at very high risk of relapse, progression, or death. In summary, these results suggest that MRD-2 assessment by LymphoVista allows for early outcome prognostication in patients with HL and could be used as a tool to improve treatment guidance on its own or in conjunction with PET-2.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 147, Issue 19
Published May 07, 2026
Pages 2194-2202
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (22)

J

Jan-Michel Heger

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

J

Julia Mattlener

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

H

Helen Kaul

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

J

Justin Ferdinandus

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

J

Jessica Schneider

Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology

J

Julia K. Schleifenbaum

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

G

Gundolf Schneider

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

V

Valdete Schaub

6Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

M

Mathias Hänel

7Department III of Internal Medicine, Klinikum Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

J

Johannes C. Hellmuth

8Department of Medicine III, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany

J

Judith Dierlamm

9University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

S

Sonja Martin

10Department of Hematology and Oncology, Robert Bosch Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany

S

Stephan Mathas

J

Julia Meissner

2Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

D

D. Michiel Pegtel

15Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers and Department of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

J

Josée M. Zijlstra

A

Anna Ossowski

17West German Genome Center and Cologne Center for Genomics, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

K

Kerstin Becker

M

Michael Hallek

Department I of Internal Medicine, Center of Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

B

Bastian von Tresckow

1Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, and German Hodgkin Study Group, Cologne, Germany

P

Peter Borchmann

Uniklinik Koeln, Koeln, Germany

S

Sven Borchmann

1Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany