Dr. Horwitz on Ongoing Trials in T-Cell Lymphoma

Steven Horwitz, MD, associate attending physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses some of the ongoing clinical trials being explored in T-cell lymphoma.

In the frontline setting, the ECHELON-2 trial is investigating the addition of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) to CHP chemotherapy, which is a combination of doxorubicin, prednisone and cyclophosphamide. This was randomized in a double-blinded fashion against CHOP plus placebo, Horwitz explains, adding that the trial has completed accrual.

ECHELON-2 is a study comprised of more than 400 patients, that Horwitz predicts will provide physicians with quality data. These findings could lead to improve treatment strategies for patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and CD30-expressing T-cell lymphomas overall.

There is a second ongoing study, he says, that is looking at the addition of lenalidomide (Revlimid) to standard combination chemotherapy. A third trial is exploring the addition of romidepsin (Istodax) to frontline treatment.

As results from these studies are presented, Horwitz says researchers will be asking questions, such as, "Is something really better than CHOP?" or, "Is adding 1 of these newer drugs really making a difference for some subset of the patients?"