How we treat elderly patients with Hodgkin lymphoma

A comprehensive SEER registry analysis of elderly patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma based on treatment era and race

We conducted a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER-18) registry analysis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) patients more than 60 years old and compared outcomes of those diagnosed between 2006 and 2010 (cohort 1) to those identified between 2011 and 2015 (cohort 2) based on treatment era and race. Cohort 1 had a median overall survival (OS) of 4 years and cohort 2 had a median OS of 4.75 years [hazard ratio (HR): 0.92 (0.85-1.00); p = 0.052]. Non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs) had a similar 5-year OS compared to non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) of 48.6% vs. 50.2% (HR: 0.95 [0.79-1.15]; p > 0.99); on the contrary, Hispanics had worse 5-year OS of 41.8% vs. 48.6% (HR: 1.24 [1.09-1.41]; p < 0.001). NHW was the only race that had improvement in 5-year OS in 2011-2015 compared to 2006-2010 (51% vs. 46.5%, p = 0.002). In the multivariable analysis, older age, male gender, stage III-IV, unmarried status, Hispanic race, lack of chemotherapy, and diagnosis in 2006-2010 were associated with worse OS. Lymphoma was the most common cause of death in 60% of patients. In conclusion, elderly cHL patients diagnosed after 2010 had improved OS by nine months that was most prevalent in NHWs, and disparity in OS existed between NHWs and Hispanics throughout the study period.

Comparison of outcomes between Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated in and outside clinical trials: A study based on the EORTC-Dutch late effects cohort-linked data

Studies have shown higher survival rates for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated within clinical trials compared to patients treated outside clinical trials. However, endpoints are often limited to overall survival (OS). In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the effect of trial participation on OS, the incidence of relapse, second cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study population consisted of patients with HL, aged between 14 and 51 years at diagnosis, who started their treatment between 1962 and 2002 at three Dutch cancer centres. Patients were either included in the EORTC Lymphoma Group trials (H1-H9) or treated according to standard guidelines at the time. After adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics, trial participation was associated with longer OS (median OS: 29.4 years [95%CI: 27.0-31.6] for treatment inside trials versus 27.4 years [95%CI: 26.0-28.5] for treatment outside trials, p = .046), a lower incidence of relapse (HR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.63-0.98, p = .036) and a higher incidence of CVD (HR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.23-1.79, p < .001). The trial effect for CVD was present only for patients treated before 1983. No evidence of differences in the incidence of second cancer was found. Consequently, essential results from clinical trials should be implemented into standard practice without undue delay.

Current Treatment Options and the Role of Functional Status Assessment in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma in Older Adults: A Review

Along with the fact that classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) in older adults is frequently considered biologically different from cHL in younger patients, its most distinctive feature is its dismal clinical outcome due to the decreased effectiveness and greater toxicity of therapies. Although strategies to mitigate specific toxicities (e.g., cardiological and pulmonary) have obtained some results, in general, reduced-intensity schemes, proposed as an alternative to ABVD, have proved to be less effective. The addition of brentuximab vedotin (BV) to AVD, especially in a sequential scheme, has demonstrated good efficacy. However, the problem of toxicity persists even with this new therapeutic combination, with comorbidities remaining an important prognostic factor. The adequate stratification of functional status is necessary to distinguish between those patients who will benefit from full treatment and those who will benefit from alternative strategies. A simplified geriatric assessment based on the determination of ADL (activity of daily living), IADL (instrumental ADL), and CIRS-G (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric) scores is an easy-to-use tool that permits adequate patient stratification. Other factors of considerable impact on functional status such as sarcopenia and immunosenescence are currently being studied. A fitness-based treatment choice would also be very useful for relapsed or refractory patients, a more frequent and challenging situation than that is found in young cHL patients.

Guideline for the first-line management of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma - A British Society for Haematology guideline

This guideline was compiled according to the British Society for Haematology (BSH) process at https://b-s-h.org.uk/media/16732/bsh-guidance-development-process-dec-5-18.pdf. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) nomenclature was used to evaluate levels of evidence and to assess the strength of recommendations. The GRADE criteria can be found at http://www.gradeworkinggroup.org. Recommendations are based on a review of the literature using Medline, PubMed/Medline and Cochrane searches beginning from 2013 up to January 2021. The following search terms were used: [Hodgkin lymphoma OR Hodgkin disease] NOT non-Hodgkin; AND [chemotherapy OR radiotherapy]; AND [elderly]; AND [teenage OR adolescent OR young adult]; AND [pregnancy]. Filters were applied to include only publications written in English, studies carried out in humans, clinical conferences, congresses, clinical trials, clinical studies, meta-analyses, multicentre studies and randomised controlled trials. References pre-2013 were taken from the previous version of this guideline.¹ Review of the manuscript was performed by the British Society for Haematology (BSH) Guidelines Committee Haematology Oncology Taskforce, the BSH Guidelines Committee and the Haematology Oncology sounding board of BSH.

Association of Treatment Intensity With Survival in Older Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma

IMPORTANCE

Hodgkin lymphoma is an aggressive blood cancer that is highly curable in younger patients who receive multiagent chemotherapy. Worse survival in older patients may reflect less-aggressive treatment, competing risks of death, or different disease biological factors.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between treatment intensity and cause-specific mortality among older adults with Hodgkin lymphoma.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was a population-based cohort study of patients aged 65 years or older with Medicare Part A and B fee-for-service coverage who received a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma from 2000 to 2013. The association between treatment intensity and cause-specific mortality was estimated separately for early-stage and advanced-stage disease with Cox proportional hazards models. Multivariable adjustment and propensity score weighting helped control for confounding. Data are from the 1999 to 2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare database. Data analysis was performed from April 2020 to June 2021.

EXPOSURES

First-line treatment categorized as (1) full chemotherapy regimen, (2) partial chemotherapy regimen, (3) single chemotherapy agent or radiotherapy, or (4) no treatment.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcome was 3-year Hodgkin lymphoma-specific and other-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Among 2686 patients (mean [SD] age, 75.7 [6.9] years; 1333 men [50%]), 1307 had early-stage disease and 1379 had advanced-stage disease. For Hodgkin lymphoma-specific mortality in patients with early-stage disease, hazard ratios (HRs) were higher for partial regimens (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.22-2.57) or no treatment (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.31-2.79) than for full regimens; there was no difference between single-agent chemotherapy or radiotherapy and full regimens. For other-cause mortality in patients with early-stage disease, HRs were higher for partial regimens (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.18-2.44), single-agent chemotherapy or radiotherapy (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.13-2.33), or no treatment (HR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.95-3.78) than for full regimens. For Hodgkin lymphoma-specific mortality in patients with advanced-stage disease, HRs were higher for partial regimens (HR, 3.26; 95% CI, 2.44-4.35), single-agent chemotherapy or radiotherapy (HR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.98-4.11), or no treatment (HR, 4.06; 95% CI, 3.06-5.37) than for full regimens. For other-cause mortality in patients with advanced-stage disease, HRs were higher for partial regimens (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.32-2.33), single-agent chemotherapy or radiotherapy (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.15-2.37), or no treatment (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.71-2.94) than for full regimens.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This cohort study found variability in the magnitude of the association between treatment intensity and mortality by stage and cause-specific mortality, possibly reflecting competing risks of death. However, full chemotherapy regimens were associated with lower mortality and could be considered for older adults who can tolerate them.

Defining Undertreatment and Overtreatment in Older Adults With Cancer: A Scoping Literature Review

PURPOSE

The terms undertreatment and overtreatment are often used to describe inappropriate management of older adults with cancer. We conducted a comprehensive scoping review of the literature to clarify the meanings behind the use of the terms.

METHODS

We searched PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information), Embase (Elsevier), and CINAHL (EBSCO) for titles and abstracts that included the terms undertreatment or overtreatment with regard to older adults with cancer. We included all types of articles, cancer types, and treatments. Definitions of undertreatment and overtreatment were extracted, and categories underlying these definitions were derived through qualitative analysis. Within a random subset of articles, C.D. and K.P.L. independently performed this analysis to determine final categories and then independently assigned these categories to assess inter-rater reliability.

RESULTS

Articles using the terms undertreatment (n = 236), overtreatment (n = 71), or both (n = 51) met criteria for inclusion in our review (n = 256). Only 14 articles (5.5%) explicitly provided formal definitions; for the remaining, we inferred the implicit definitions from the terms' surrounding context. There was substantial agreement (κ = 0.81) between C.D. and K.P.L. in independently assigning categories of definitions within a random subset of 50 articles. Undertreatment most commonly implied less than recommended therapy (148; 62.7%) or less than recommended therapy associated with worse outcomes (88; 37.3%). Overtreatment most commonly implied intensive treatment of an older adult in whom the harms of treatment outweigh the benefits (38; 53.5%) or intensive treatment of a cancer not expected to affect an older adult in his/her remaining lifetime (33; 46.5%).

CONCLUSION

Undertreatment and overtreatment of older adults with cancer are imprecisely defined concepts. We propose new, more rigorous definitions that account for both oncologic factors and geriatric domains.

Nonpeghylated liposomal doxorubicin combination regimen (R-COMP) for the treatment of lymphoma patients with advanced age or cardiac comorbidity

Doxorubicin is the most effective single agent in the treatment of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Its use is limited because of the cardiac toxicity primarily in elderly patients (pts) and in pts with history of cardiac disease. Liposomal doxorubicin has been proven to reduce cardiotoxicity. The aim of this retrospective study was the use of nonpeghylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) in term of efficacy, response rate and incidence of cardiac events. We retrospectively collected the experience of 33 Hematological Italian Centers in using NPLD. Nine hundred and forty‐six consecutive pts treated with R‐COMP (doxorubicin was substituted with NPLD, Myocet) were collected. Median age was 74 years, the reasons for use of NPLD were: age (466 pts), cardiac disease (298 pts), uncontrolled hypertension (126 pts), other reasons (56 pts). According to clinicians' evaluation, 49.9% of pts would not have used standard doxorubicin for different situations (age, cardiomyopathy, previous use of doxorubicin, and uncontrolled hypertension). Overall 687 pts (72.6%) obtained a complete remission (CR). About 5% (n = 51) of subjects developed major cardiotoxic events including heart failure (N = 31), ischemic heart disease (N = 16), acute heart attack (N = 3), and acute pulmonary oedema (N = 1). After a median follow‐up of 32 months, 651 pts were alive and the overall survival (OS) was 72%. After a median observation period of 23 months disease free survival (DFS) was 58%. Either in univariate or in multivariate analysis OS and DFS were not significantly affected by age or cardiac disease. Our findings strongly support that including R‐COMP is effective and safe when the population is at high risk of cardiac events and negatively selected. Moreover, the use of this NPLD permitted that about half of our population had the opportunity to receive the best available treatment.

First-line treatment in older patients with Hodgkin lymphoma: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare population-based study

While Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is highly curable in younger patients, older patients have higher relapse and death rates, which may reflect age-related factors, distinct disease biology and/or treatment decisions. We described the association between patient, disease and geographic factors and first-line treatment in older patients (≥65 years) with incident HL using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data from 1999 to 2014 (n = 2825). First-line treatment initiated at ≤4 months after diagnosis was categorised as: full chemotherapy regimen (n = 699, 24·7%); partial chemotherapy regimen (n = 1016, 36·0%); single chemotherapy agent or radiotherapy (n = 382, 13·5%); and no treatment (n = 728, 25·8%). Among the fully treated, ABVD [doxorubicin (Adriamycin), bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine]/AVD was most common (n = 635, 90·8%). Adjusted multinomial logistic regression identified factors associated with treatment. Older age, Medicaid dual eligibility, not married, frailty, cardiac comorbidity, prior cancer, earlier diagnosis date, histology, advanced disease Stage, B symptoms and South region were independently associated with increased odds of not receiving full chemotherapy regimens. In conclusion, we found variability in first-line HL treatment for older patients. Treatment differences by Medicaid and region may indicate disparities. Even after adjusting for frailty and cardiac comorbidity, age was associated with treatment, suggesting factors such as end-of-life care or shared decision-making may influence treatment in older patients.

Hodgkin lymphoma detection and survival: findings from the Haematological Malignancy Research Network

BACKGROUND

Hodgkin lymphoma is usually detected in primary care with early signs and symptoms, and is highly treatable with standardised chemotherapy. However, late presentation is associated with poorer outcomes.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between markers of advanced disease, emergency admission, and survival following a diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL).

DESIGN & SETTING

The study was set within a sociodemographically representative UK population-based patient cohort of ~4 million, within which all patients were tracked through their care pathways, and linked to national data obtained from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and deaths.

METHOD

All 971 patients with CHL newly diagnosed between 1 September 2004-31 August 2015 were followed until 18th December 2018.

RESULTS

The median diagnostic age was 41.5 years (range 0-96 years), 55.2% of the patients were male, 31.2% had stage IV disease, 43.0% had a moderate-high or high risk prognostic score, and 18.7% were admitted via the emergency route prior to diagnosis. The relationship between age and emergency admission was U-shaped: more likely in patients aged <25 years and ≥70 years. Compared to patients admitted via other routes, those presenting as an emergency had more advanced disease and poorer 3-year survival (relative survival 68.4% [95% confidence interval {CI} = 60.3 to 75.2] versus 89.8% [95% CI = 87.0 to 92.0], respectively [P<0.01]). However, after adjusting for clinically important prognostic factors, no difference in survival remained.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that CHL survival as a whole could be increased by around 4% if the cancer in patients who presented as an emergency had been detected at the same point as in other patients.

Targeting Immune System Alterations in Hodgkin Lymphoma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review discusses novel immunotherapeutic approaches to treat Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), specifically PD-1 inhibitors and cellular immunotherapy.

RECENT FINDINGS

PD-1 inhibitors have shown promising results in the treatment of relapsed or refractory HL, leading to FDA approval of nivolumab and pembrolizumab, although complete remissions are rare. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells directed against CD30 have been investigated with preliminary clinical trials showing minimal toxicities and some responses in heavily pre-treated patients with HL. HL is unique as it consists of a small percentage of malignant cells (Hodgkin Reed Sternberg cells) surrounded by an inflammatory microenvironment which promotes tumor growth and suppresses immune responses, making it an ideal target for immunotherapeutic approaches, such as PD-1 inhibitors and cellular immunotherapy. Current research is focused on overcoming barriers to efficacy via rational combinations that overcome resistance to therapy.

Greater attention should be paid to developing therapies for elderly patients with Hodgkin lymphoma-A population-based study from Sweden

OBJECTIVE

Forty percent of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients are older than 50 years at diagnosis, a fact which is not commonly recognized. Older patients do significantly worse than younger patients and are rarely included in clinical trials.

METHODS

Using data from Swedish Cancer and Lymphoma Registries, we estimated relative survival ratios (RSRs) for 7997 HL patients (diagnosed 1973-2013; 45% ≥50 years).

RESULTS

The 1-year RSRs (95% confidence interval; CI) for males aged 45-59, 60-69, 70-80, and 81 years and over, diagnosed in 2013, were 0.95 (0.91-0.97), 0.88 (0.81-0.92), 0.74 (0.63-0.81), and 0.52 (0.35-0.67), respectively. The corresponding 1-year RSRs for females were 0.97 (0.94-0.98), 0.91 (0.85-0.95), 0.82 (0.73-0.88), and 0.66 (0.50-0.77). No improvements in 1-year of 5-year relative survival from 2000 to 2013 were observed for patients aged 45-59 or 60-69 but there were modest improvements for patients aged 70 years and older. Importantly, we saw no changes in the distribution of disease or patient characteristics between 2000 and 2013.

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly patients constitute a large group with clearly unmet medical needs. Our findings motivate a more active approach to including elderly patients in clinical trials. Our study provides a baseline for outcome comparison after the broader introduction of targeted drugs.

Current strategies for salvage treatment for relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is curable in 70-80% of patients with first-line therapy. However, relapses occur in a minority of patients with favorable early stage disease and are more frequent in patients with advanced HL. Salvage chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for patients with chemotherapy-sensitive disease is a standard treatment sequence for relapsed or refractory (rel/ref) HL. Patients who achieve complete response prior to ASCT have better survival outcomes. The choice of salvage chemotherapy therapy is becoming increasingly difficult in the era of novel agents, as there are no randomized studies to guide the choice of a second-line regimen. In this article, we will review current salvage therapy options, including combination chemotherapy and novel-agent-based salvage regimens for rel/ref HL.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Older Patients: an Orphan Disease?

Hodgkin Lymphoma HL can be cured in the large majority of younger patients, but prognosis for older patients, especially those with advanced-stage disease, has not improved substantially. The percentage of HL patients aged over 60 ranges between 15% and 35%. A minority of them is enrolled into clinical trials. HL in the elderly have some specificities: more frequent male sex, B-symptoms, advanced stage, sub diaphragmatic presentation, higher percentage of mixed cellularity, up to 50% of advanced cases associated to EBV. Very old age (>70) and comorbidities are factor of further worsening prognosis. Like in younger patients, ABVD is the most used protocol, but treatment outcome remains much inferior with more frequent, severe and sometimes specific toxicities. Few prospective studies with specific protocols are available. The main data have been published by the Italian Lymphoma Group with the VEPEMB schedule and the German Hodgkin Study Group with the PVAG regimen. Recently, the Scotland and Newcastle Lymphoma Study Group published the SHIELD program associating a prospective phase 2 trial with VEPEMB and a prospective registration of others patients. Patients over 60y with early-stage disease received three cycles plus radiotherapy and had 81% of 3-year overall survival (OS). Those with advanced-stage disease received six cycles, with 3-year OS of 66%. The role of geriatric and comorbidity assessment in the treatment’s choice for HL in the elderly is a major challenge. The combination of loss of activities of daily living combined with the age stratification more or less 70y has been shown as a simple and effective survival model. Hopes come from promising new agents like brentuximab-vedotin (BV) a novel antibody-drug conjugate. The use of TEP to adapt the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy according to the metabolic response could also be way for prospective studies.

Relapsed hodgkin lymphoma in older patients: a comprehensive analysis from the German hodgkin study group

PURPOSE

Progression or relapse of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is common among older patients. However, prognosis and effects of second-line treatment are thus far unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We investigated second-line treatment and survival in older patients with progressive or relapsed HL. Patients treated within German Hodgkin Study Group first-line studies between 1993 and 2007 were screened for refractory disease or relapse (RR-HL). Patients with RR-HL age ≥ 60 years at first-line treatment were included in this analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 105 patients (median age, 66 years); 28%, 31%, and 41% had progressive disease, early relapse, or late relapse, respectively. Second-line treatment strategies included intensified salvage regimens (22%), conventional polychemotherapy and/or salvage-radiotherapy with curative intent (42%), and palliative approaches (31%). Median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 12 months; OS at 3 years was 31% (95% CI, 22% to 40%). A prognostic score with risk factors (RFs) of early relapse, clinical stage III/IV, and anemia identified patients with favorable and unfavorable prognosis (≤ one RF: 3-year OS, 59%; 95% CI, 44% to 74%; ≥ two RFs: 3-year OS, 9%; 95% CI, 1% to 18%). In low-risk patients, the impact of therapy on survival was significant in favor of the conventional polychemotherapy/salvage radiotherapy approach. In high-risk patients, OS was low overall and did not differ significantly among treatment strategies.

CONCLUSION

OS in older patients with RR-HL can be predicted using a simple prognostic score. Poor outcome in high-risk patients cannot be overcome by any of the applied treatment strategies. Our results might help to guide treatment decisions and evaluate new compounds in these patients.

Temporal Trends in Mortality From Diseases of the Circulatory System After Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Sweden (1973 to 2006)

Purpose

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survival in Sweden has improved dramatically over the last 40 years, but little is known about the extent to which efforts aimed at reducing long-term treatment-related mortality have contributed to the improved prognosis.

Methods

We used population-based data from Sweden to estimate the contribution of treatment-related mortality caused by diseases of the circulatory system (DCS) to temporal trends in excess HL mortality among 5,462 patients diagnosed at ages 19 to 80 between 1973 and 2006. Flexible parametric survival models were used to estimate excess mortality. In addition, we used recent advances in statistical methodology to estimate excess mortality in the presence of competing causes of death.

Results

Excess DCS mortality within 20 years after diagnosis has decreased continually since the mid-1980s and is expected to further decrease among patients diagnosed in the modern era. Age at diagnosis and sex were important predictors for excess DCS mortality, with advanced age and male sex being associated with higher excess DCS mortality. However, when accounting for competing causes of death, we found that excess DCS mortality constitutes a relatively small proportion of the overall mortality among patients with HL in Sweden.

Conclusion

Excess DCS mortality is no longer a common source of mortality among Swedish patients with HL. The main causes of death among long-term survivors today are causes other than HL, although other (non-DCS) excess mortality also persists for as long as 20 years after diagnosis, particularly among older patients.

Progress in Hodgkin lymphoma: a population-based study on patients diagnosed in Sweden from 1973-2009

In recent decades, attention has focused on reducing long-term, treatment-related morbidity and mortality in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). In the present study, we looked for trends in relative survival for all patients diagnosed with HL in Sweden from 1973-2009 (N = 6949; 3985 men and 2964 women; median age, 45 years) and followed up for death until the end of 2010. Patients were categorized into 6 age groups and 5 calendar periods (1973-1979, 1980-1986, 1987-1994, 1994-2000, and 2001-2009). Relative survival improved in all age groups, with the greatest improvement in patients 51-65 years of age (P < .0005). A plateau in relative survival was observed in patients below 65 years of age during the last calendar period, suggesting a reduced long-term, treatment-related mortality. The 10-year relative survival for patients diagnosed in 2000-2009 was 0.95, 0.96, 0.93, 0.80, and 0.44 for the age groups 0-18, 19-35, 36-50, 51-65, and 66-80, respectively. Therefore, despite progress, age at diagnosis remains an important prognostic factor (P < .0005). Advances in therapy for patients with limited and advanced-stage HL have contributed to an increasing cure rate. In addition, our findings support that long-term mortality of HL therapy has decreased. Elderly HL patients still do poorly, and targeted treatment options associated with fewer side effects will advance the clinical HL field.