Treatment of Recurrent Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of recurrent classic Hodgkin lymphoma in adults may include the following:

• Immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (pembrolizumab or nivolumab alone), targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody (brentuximab vedotin) alone, or a combination. This may be followed by stem cell transplant.
• Combination chemotherapy, which may be followed by pembrolizumab or nivolumab. Stem cell transplant may be considered.
• Combination chemotherapy with radiation therapy to the areas of the body with cancer for patients older than 60 years.
• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy, for patients whose cancer came back only in the lymph nodes.
• Chemotherapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.