Brentuximab vedotin in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone as frontline treatment for patients with CD30-positive B-cell lymphomas

We conducted a phase I/II multicenter trial using six cycles of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHP) for treatment of patients with CD30-positive B-cell lymphomas. Thirty-one patients were evaluable for toxicity and 29 for efficacy including 22 with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, five with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and two with gray zone lymphoma. There were no treatmentrelated deaths; 32% of patients had non-hematologic grade 3/4 toxicities. The overall response rate was 100% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 88-100) with 86% (95% CI: 68-96) of patients achieving complete response at the end of systemic treatment. Consolidative radiation following end-of-treatment response assessment was permissible and used in 52% of all patients including 59% of the patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. With a median follow-up of 30 months, the 2- year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 85% (95% CI: 66-94) and 100%, respectively. In the cohort with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, the 2-year progression-free survival rate was 86% (95% CI: 62-95). In summary, BV-R-CHP with or without consolidative radiation is a feasible and active frontline regimen for CD30-positive Bcell lymphomas (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01994850).