Tight competition for the first-line treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma: a comprehensive review of practice-changing developments in recent years.

INTRODUCTION: There has been a giant leap forward in the management of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) over the past decade. Emergence of long-term data from large, randomized trials in early-stage disease (eHL) and incorporation of brentuximab vedotin (BV) or nivolumab into the frontline setting through three large phase-3 trials in advanced stages (aHL) are driving the paradigm shift in HL. The new landscape promises chances of cure to over 90% newly diagnosed patients while maintaining caution for long-term toxicity.

AREAS COVERED: This review will cover the published evidence regarding primary analyses or updates within the last 5 years on phase-3 clinical trials conducted in the frontline treatment setting for HL. Concerning areas of clinical significance where no comparative trial data is available, data from phase-2 trials or real-world analyses will be briefly discussed.

EXPERT OPINION: Consolidative radiotherapy is no longer a strict necessity in eHL cases with complete response to frontline chemotherapy and the decision to irradiate in such cases should be individualized. The state-of-the-art in managing aHL requires the use of either BV or nivolumab as introduced by the GHSG HD21 and SWOG S1826 trials, respectively.