
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at having avelumab before standard chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma.
It is for people:
Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma is stage 2 lymphoma with symptoms such as night sweats. Or lymphoma that is more widespread (stage 3 or stage 4).
Chemotherapy is the usual first treatment for people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma. Combinations of chemotherapy you might have include:
This treatment works for some people. But sometimes the lymphoma comes back. So researchers are looking for ways to improve it.
In this trial they are looking at a drug called avelumab. It is a type of immunotherapy called a monoclonal antibody. It blocks proteins that stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells.
So far, avelumab has only been used in people with Hodgkin lymphoma that has come back after earlier treatment.
Doctors now wonder if having avelumab before chemotherapy as a first treatment might work better. But they aren’t sure. So they are running this trial to find out more.
The main aims of the trial are to:
The following bullet points list the entry conditions for this trial. Talk to your doctor or the trial team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.
Who can take part
You may be able to join this trial if all of the following apply.
You:
Who can’t take part
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply.
Cancer related
You:
Medical conditions
You:
Other
You:
This is a phase 2 trial. You have avelumab followed by standard chemotherapy. Treatment takes up to 8 months in total.
This takes about 2 months. You then have a scan and a
to see how treatment worked. Everyone then has standard chemotherapy.
Standard chemotherapy
This includes the following combinations:
ABVD includes the drugs:
Everyone has ABVD to begin with. You have it as a drip into a vein. Each 4 week period is a cycle of treatment. You have 2 cycles of ABVD. This takes about 2 months.
You then have a PET-CT scan to see how treatment worked. If treatment works (a negative scan) you stop bleomycin and have AVD.
If treatment doesn’t work (a positive scan) you have a combination of chemotherapy called BEACOPP.
AVD (a negative scan)
If ABVD treatment works you have a combination of chemotherapy called AVD. This includes the drugs doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine. You have 4 cycles of treatment. This takes about 4 months.
You then have a CT scan.
BEACOPP (a positive scan)
If ABVD treatment doesn’t work you have a combination of chemotherapy called BEACOPP. This is more intensive chemotherapy. There are 2 different schedules for having this. The schedule you have depends on where you are having treatment. The trial doctor can tell you more about this. Treatment takes between 8 and 9 weeks.
BEACOPP includes the drugs:
After BEACOPP you have a PET-CT scan. If treatment worked you have 1 or 2 more cycles of BEACOPP. If treatment didn’t work you won’t have any more treatment as part of this trial. Your doctor will talk to you about other treatment options.
Some people might have radiotherapy as part of their treatment. The doctor will tell you more about this if they think you need it.
Samples for research
The researchers ask for a sample of your lymphoma (a ) from when you were first diagnosed. They also ask to take some extra blood samples. Where possible, you have these at the same time as your routine blood tests. They plan to use the samples to:
You do not have to agree to give some of these samples if you don’t want to. You can still take part in the trial. They researchers might ask to store any leftover samples for future research.
You see a doctor and have some tests before you join the trial. These include:
You have treatment at hospital on the day ward.
When you finish treatment you see the doctor for a check up and blood tests:
This follow up can vary a bit and depends on when you joined the trial.
The trial team monitor you during treatment and afterwards. Contact your advice line or tell your doctor or nurse if any side effects are bad or not getting better.
Avelumab can affect the immune system. It may cause inflammation in different parts of the body which can cause serious side effects. They could happen during treatment, or some months after treatment has finished. Rarely, these side effects could be life threatening.
If you have any of these side effects, you should tell the doctor or nurse as soon as possible. You should tell them that you are on or have been on an immunotherapy.
The most common side effects of avelumab are:
You might have an allergic reaction to avelumab. This might happen during the infusion, causing a skin rash, itching, swelling of the lips, face or throat, breathing difficulties or fever and chills. Your nurse will keep a close eye on you and treat any problems immediately.
The most common side effects of ABVD, AVD and BEACOPP include:
We have more information about the side effects of:
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Graham Collins
Pfizer
University College London (UCL)
Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.