A(B)VD Followed by Nivolumab as Frontline Therapy for Higher Risk Patients With Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL)

This study is looking for adults who have classical Hodgkin lymphoma that hasn't been treated yet. For younger patients (under 60 years old), the cancer needs to be in stages III or IV, meaning it's more widespread in the body. If you are 60 years old or older, you might be eligible regardless of the stage of your cancer.

To be considered, doctors need to confirm your diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma, and special scans (FDG-PET/CT) must show that the cancer cells are active. For some patients, especially those joining from certain hospitals (like MSK), you can join anytime during your first two cycles of ABVD treatment. However, if you're joining from other hospitals and are under 60, you'll generally need to have had a PET scan after your first two cycles of ABVD that shows your cancer hasn't completely responded to the initial treatment.

Women who could become pregnant will need to have negative pregnancy tests before starting the study drugs and use reliable birth control methods throughout the study. This is to ensure safety as some medicines can affect an unborn baby. Your medical team will thoroughly review all criteria to see if this study is suitable for you.

If you take part in this study, you'll start with two cycles of standard ABVD chemotherapy. After these two cycles, you'll have a special scan called a PET scan. What happens next depends on the results of that scan. If your scan shows the cancer is still active, you will receive four more cycles of treatment, which will include a combination of three chemotherapy drugs (AVD) plus the new drug, Nivolumab. If your scan shows the cancer has responded well, you'll continue with standard treatment (AVD or ABVD) without Nivolumab.

Throughout the study, you'll have regular appointments with your doctors, nurses, and the research team. These visits will include physical exams, blood tests, and imaging scans (like PET scans) to monitor your health, how the treatment is working, and to check for any side effects. The exact number and frequency of visits will be explained by the study team, but you can expect to be monitored closely during and after your treatment on the study.