Objective:

To analyze the use of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in monotherapy or in combination with bendamustine in the treatment of relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Methods:

Retrospective and multicenter study of patients with relapsed or refractory HL or ALCL treated with BV until February 2019. Demographic, pathological (clinical and analytical), response and toxicity variables were analyzed.

Results:

Sixteen patients were included in two groups.

Group 1 (BV in monotherapy, 10 patients): 6 men, 57.5 years (range: 44-72). 7 patients presented HL and 3 ALCL. After 4 cycles, 6 partial responses (PR), 3 complete responses (CR) and one refractory patient were obtained. Objective response rate (ORR) 90%. 5 patients in PR progressed being progression-free survival (PFS) 4 months (95% CI 2.55-4.27). A patient in CR was submitted to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and received BV in maintenance.

Group 2 (in combination with bendamustine, 6 patients): 4 men, 42 years (range: 18-74). After 4 cycles, 2 PR, 3 CR and 1 refractory patient were obtained. ORR 83.33%. 1 patient in PR progressed (PFS 3 months). The patients in CR could benefit from ASCT and maintenance with BV.

In both groups, the main adverse effects (AE) were neuropathy (grade 3 in 2 patients) and digestive alterations.

Conclusions:

BV presents good activity in monotherapy, achieving high ORR. The combination with bendamustine has made it possible to increase efficiency by achieving more lasting responses and it has allowed us to offer ASCT to previously non-candidates.

AE have been reported but they have been handled properly. Further studies are necessary to position BV in routine clinical practice.

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