Lymphoma - Hodgkin - Childhood

Doctors are working to learn more about Hodgkin lymphoma, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your child’s doctor about the diagnostic and treatment options best for your child.

New drugs. To reduce side effects and improve the effectiveness of treatment, it is important for researchers to find new drugs, as well as new combinations of current drugs.

ALLO stem cell transplantation. As explained in the Treatment section, stem cell transplantation is sometimes used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma. Doctors are researching increasing the use of stem cell transplantation, including using donor blood stem cells to replace the patient’s bone marrow (called allogeneic or ALLO transplantation).

Personalized treatments. Overall, the major goal of Hodgkin lymphoma research is to improve treatment effectiveness while reducing long-term side effects. Early response of the disease to a specific treatment is being studied as a method to tailor therapy to the individual. Shorter, more intensive regimens may improve effectiveness. It is important that researchers learn which patients need radiation therapy and which patients may be cured without the long-term side effects of radiation exposure.

Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. Recent studies are evaluating antibodies—such as brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35)—directed against proteins on the Hodgkin lymphoma cells. Learn more about targeted treatments.

Supportive care. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current Hodgkin lymphoma treatments in order to improve patients’ comfort and quality of life.

Learn more about common statistical terms used in cancer research.

Looking for More about Current Research?

If you would like additional information about the latest areas of research regarding childhood Hodgkin lymphoma, explore these related items:

• To find clinical trials specific to your diagnosis, talk with your child’s doctor or search online clinical trial databases now.
• Read ASCO’s latest Clinical Cancer Advances report, which highlights top research findings over the past year.
  
• Visit ASCO’s CancerProgress.Net website to learn more about the historical pace of research for childhood cancer, including lymphoma.

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