Nivolumab-containing therapy in patients with newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma: own clinical observations and literature review

Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cHL) is a lymphoproliferative disease characterized by the presence of Hodgkin anderezovsky–Reed–Sternberg cells and a tumor microenvironment. Currently, much attention is paid to the microenvironment in cLH. A detailed understanding of the interaction between the tumor and its microenvironment opens up prospects for the cHL diagnosis and treatment. Innovative immunotherapeutic agents such as nivolumab make it possible to control and activate the immune response. Despite the high efficiency of standard protocols in young patients, therapy intensification is associated with organ toxicity and the development of secondary malignant neoplasms. At the same time, in elderly patients, the results of generally accepted antitumor treatment protocols should be considered suboptimal. In the last decade, the treatment of refractory cHL has improved significantly due to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Taking into account the above, the priority issue in modern clinical hematology is to improve cHL treatment strategies not only in elderly but also in young patients by maintaining a balance between high efficacy and low toxicity. Moreover, the inclusion of nivolumab in first-line therapy is not only pathogenetically justified and effective, but also safe. The article presents data from clinical observations of the successful nivolumab use in combination with chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed cHL.

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