The HD21 trial of upfront PET-adapted therapy in 1500 fit patients with Hodgkin lymphoma compared BrECADD with eBEACOPP, substituting vincristine for brentuximab vedotin (plus a few other tweaks to the regimen). Not only was BrECADD less toxic, it achieved a 3-year PFS of 94.9%, which is pretty awesome! While unlikely to sway any BEACOPP non-believers, it is a hint that maybe we are reaching a better toxicity-efficacy balance, and 3 year data are reassuring. Our German colleagues certainly know how to run a randomized controlled trial.

The SELENE trial of ibrutinib in marginal zone lymphoma was unfortunately a negative study, showing no benefit of ibrutinib-BR or ibrutinib-R-CHOP over placebo-BR or placebo-R-CHOP, leading to the withdrawal of ibrutinib’s MZL indication. Two third of patients in the study received BR-containing regimens. As Dr Nastoupil said when presenting the results, “we have not been able to identify the subgroup of MZL patients in which ibrutinib is effective”.

MCL guru Michael Wang presented the pivotal liso-cel data in mantle cell lymphoma - impressive efficacy data: ORR 83%, CRR 72%, 12 month PFS 53% and 18 month PFS 44%. Is there a tail to the curve? Hard to say yet. Will it score liso-cel an approval in MCL - seems likely!