New Cancer Treatment Cuts Death Risk In Half
Jenna Cottrell, a young sports reporter from Rochester, N.Y., has been open about her personal battle with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, which she was diagnosed with at the age of 25 in 2017. After undergoing 12 rounds of chemotherapy, the standard treatment at the time, she has been in remission since that year. Despite her recovery, Cottrell admits the treatment took a toll on her physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now, she is excited about the findings of a new clinical trial that may offer a less taxing treatment option for future patients.
The trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 16, tested the addition of the drug nivolumab to the existing AVD therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. The results showed that this new combination, referred to as N-AVD, reduced the rate of cancer progression or death by half compared to the previous regimen of AVD with brentuximab vedotin (BV-AVD). The new treatment also produced fewer side effects, offering hope for patients who may find the older treatments too harsh.
Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system’s B lymphocytes, disproportionately impacts younger individuals, with a median diagnosis age of 30. The American Cancer Society estimates around 8,600 new cases annually, and nearly 1,000 deaths expected in 2024. The promising results of the N-AVD trial come after over two years of follow-up, which confirmed the treatment’s effectiveness and reduced the need for early treatment discontinuation due to side effects, especially in older patients.
Dr. Jonathan Friedberg, one of the lead researchers, highlighted the importance of this advancement in treating Hodgkin lymphoma, noting that progress in this area of cancer research has been one of the greatest success stories. Despite the overall success of treatments, around 20-25% of patients still face aggressive tumors or late-stage diagnoses that require toxic therapies. The new regimen offers hope for reducing side effects and improving outcomes for these individuals.
Cottrell, reflecting on her own experience with harsh side effects such as nausea, fatigue, and hair loss, expressed gratitude for the advancements in treatment. She believes that a less physically demanding therapy will greatly benefit future patients, helping to ease some of the overwhelming symptoms that accompany cancer treatment.
Discussion about this post