title: Salvage treatment for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: role of allografting, brentuximab vedotin and newer agents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Second-line, salvage chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (AUTO-SCT) is the standard of care for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Approximately 50% of patients relapse after AUTO-SCT and their prognosis is generally poor. Brentuximab Vedotin (BV) has demonstrated efficacy in this setting and allogeneic (ALLO)-SCT represents an option with curative potential in this subgroup of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review has been conducted to explore the actual knowledge on ALLO-SCT, BV and newer agents in R/R HL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction of BV in clinical practice has significantly improved the management of post-AUTO-SCT relapses and the drug can induce durable remissions in a subset of R/R HL. Allografting select patients has been used to improve clinical outcomes and recent case series have begun to explore BV as a potential 'bridge' to allo-SCT, even though the optimal timing of ALLO-SCT after BV response remains undetermined. However, reduced tumor burden at the time of ALLO-SCT is a key factor to decrease relapse risk. Based on the unique composition of the tumor, more recently new agents such as PD-1 inhibitors have been developed. The potential role of PD-1 inhibitors with ALLO-SCT remains to be explored.
authors.affiliation: a Hematology and Stem Cells Transplantation Unit , CTMO, Azienda Ospedaliera 'BMM' , Reggio , Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: b Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, and Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences , University of Torino , Torino , Italy.
authors.forename: Moreno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Festuccia
authors.affiliation: a Hematology and Stem Cells Transplantation Unit , CTMO, Azienda Ospedaliera 'BMM' , Reggio , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.affiliation: a Hematology and Stem Cells Transplantation Unit , CTMO, Azienda Ospedaliera 'BMM' , Reggio , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Console
authors.affiliation: c Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit , Azienda Ospedaliera San Carlo , Potenza , Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cimminiello
authors.affiliation: b Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, and Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences , University of Torino , Torino , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gavarotti
authors.affiliation: b Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, and Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences , University of Torino , Torino , Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruno
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000079963:Brentuximab Vedotin; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D000079963:Brentuximab Vedotin
keywords: Brentuximab vedotin; Hodgkin lymphoma; PD-1 inhibitors; allogeneic stem cell transplantation; refractory Hodgkin lymphoma; relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma