Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Hodgkin lymphoma: great progress with room for improvement

First-line treatment of advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has successfully entered the era of targeted agents based on results from the phase III German Hodgkin Study Group HD21 and US intergroup S1826 trials. Although these trials bring about important advances, many uncertainties remain and the outcomes of all patients with HL can be further improved.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Towards individualized care in Hodgkin lymphoma.

References

  1. Borchmann, P. et al. Assessing the efficacy and tolerability of PET-guided BrECADD versus eBEACOPP in advanced-stage, classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HD21): a randomised, multicentre, parallel, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet 404, 341–352 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Herrera, A. F. et al. Nivolumab+AVD in advanced-stage classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma. N. Engl. J. Med. 391, 1379–1389 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Ferdinandus, J. et al. PET-guided Brecadd in older patients with advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma: results of the phase 2 part of the GHSG HD21 trial. Blood 144, 568 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bröckelmann, P. J. et al. Correlation between progression-free and overall survival in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma: a comprehensive analysis of individual patient data from randomized GHSG trials. Ann. Oncol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2024.12.009 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Aoki, T. et al. Spatially resolved tumor microenvironment predicts treatment outcomes in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol. 42, 1077–1087 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Alig, S. K. et al. Distinct Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes defined by noninvasive genomic profiling. Nature 625, 778–787 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Heger, J.-M. et al. Circulating tumor DNA sequencing for biologic classification and individualized risk stratification in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. J. Clin. Oncol. 42, 4218–4230 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bröckelmann, P. J. et al. Serum TARC dynamics correlate with clinical response and metabolic tumor volume during anti-PD1-based first-line HL treatment in the GHSG phase II Nivahl trial. Blood 144, 3044 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Voltin, C. A. et al. Early response to first-line anti-PD-1 treatment in Hodgkin lymphoma: a PET-based analysis from the prospective, randomized phase II NIVAHL trial. Clin. Cancer Res. 27, 402–407 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Parsons, S. K. et al. Harnessing multi-source data for individualized care in Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood Rev. 65, 101170 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

P.J.B. thanks the whole interdisciplinary German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) team and patient representatives for unparalleled efforts and countless discussions to advance Hodgkin lymphoma care and is humbled to be part of the very active, dedicated and increasingly connected international Hodgkin lymphoma community. P.J.B. is supported by an Excellence Stipend of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul J. Bröckelmann.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

P.J.B. is an advisor or consultant for Hexal, MSD, Need Inc, Stemline and Takeda; holds stock options in Need Inc; has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, BeiGene, BMS/Celgene, Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Need Inc, Stemline and Takeda; and his institution has received research funding from BeiGene, BMS, Merck Sharp & Dohme and Takeda (Inst). P.J.B. is an active member of the GHSG, which conducted the HD21 trial1, but not an author of either of the two articles primarily discussed herein1,2.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bröckelmann, P.J. Hodgkin lymphoma: great progress with room for improvement. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 22, 379–381 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-025-01012-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-025-01012-2

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing