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Background.Risk stratification is particularly important to tailor the therapeutic strategy and avoid unnecessary toxicity for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (r/r) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Early assessment of chemo-sensitivity by fluoro-deoxy-glucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scan is the strongest predictor of outcome in first line setting; however, data are limited in r/r cHL. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling is emerging as a powerful tool for outcome prediction and response monitoring.The BEGEV (BEndamustine, GEmcitabine,Vinorelbine) regimen is routinely offered as salvage strategy prior to autologous (auto) or allogeneic (allo) stem cell transplantation (SCT) in r/r cHL (Santoro, 2016). Early identification of patients who fail this program may have a significant clinical impact in the selection of the optimal therapeutic strategy for r/r cHL.

Rossi: Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; Verastem: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Cellestia: Honoraria, Research Funding. Santoro: Sandoz: Speakers Bureau; Eli-Lilly: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Speakers Bureau; Roche: Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy; Arqule: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Eisai: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Carlo-Stella: Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria; Janssen Oncology: Honoraria; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Santoro: Eisai: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Lilly: Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Arqule: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Servier: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; BMS: Speakers Bureau; Roche: Speakers Bureau; Abb-Vie: Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Speakers Bureau. Rossi:Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria, Other: Scientific advisory board; Janseen: Honoraria, Other: Scientific advisory board; Roche: Honoraria, Other: Scientific advisory board; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria, Other: Scientific advisory board. Carlo-Stella:ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodations, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Honoraria; MSD: Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodations; Amgen: Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria, Other: Travel, accommodations, Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria; Janssen: Other: Travel, accommodations; Takeda: Other: Travel, accommodations; Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Genenta Science srl: Consultancy.

Introduction:The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) nivolumab and pembrolizumab induce response rates exceeding 70% in relapsed/refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The lack of response to PD-1 MoAbs, and the relapse occurring in most patients who had responded to PD-1 blockade suggest that tools to identify the determinants of response/resistance to PD-1 MoAbs are urgently required. We hypothesized that the characterization of the mutational profile of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could represent a valuable tool to track clonal evolution-driven resistance to checkpoint inhibitors.