Comparison of first-line chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP versus chemotherapy including ABVD for people with early unfavourable or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: There are two different international standards for the treatment of early unfavourable and advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL): chemotherapy with escalated BEACOPP (bleomycin/etoposide/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide/vincristine/procarbazine/prednisone) regimen and chemotherapy with ABVD (doxorubicin/bleomycin/vinblastine/dacarbazine) regimen.

Objectives: To determine the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP compared to chemotherapy including ABVD in the treatment of early unfavourable or advanced stage HL as first-line treatment.

Search Methods: We searched for randomised controlled trials in MEDLINE, CENTRAL and conference proceedings (January 1985 to July 2013 and for the update to March 2017) and Embase (1985 to November 2008).

Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With and Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma: The Impact on Treatment Outcome and Social Reintegration.

Purpose Cancer-related fatigue occurs frequently in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and has a major impact on their quality of life. We hypothesized that severe fatigue (sFA) might have an impact on patients' treatment outcome and social reintegration. Methods Of 5,306 patients enrolled in the German Hodgkin Study Group's fifth generation of clinical trials in HL (HD13, HD14, and HD15; nonqualified and older [> 60 years] patients excluded), 4,529 provided data on health-related quality of life.

Cancer-related fatigue in patients with and survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma: a longitudinal study of the German Hodgkin Study Group.

Background: Patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma might have persistent fatigue even years after treatment. However, knowledge of the development of fatigue persisting long after completion of treatment is limited. Therefore, we did a detailed analysis of fatigue in our first-line clinical trials for early-stage favourable (HD13 trial), early-stage unfavourable (HD14 trial), and advanced-stage (HD15 trial) Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The effect of specialized cancer treatment centers on treatment efficacy in Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: The presumed benefits of centralization and minimum case numbers often guide health-policy decisions, but these benefits remain inadequately documented, particularly in oncology. In this study, we aim to measure the effect of the type of treatment center and/or the number of patients treated in it on the outcome of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Methods: From 1988 to 2002, 8121 patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated in Germany in multicenter randomized and controlled trials (RCTs) of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG).

Comparison of chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP versus chemotherapy including ABVD for patients with early unfavourable or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: There are two different international standards for the treatment of early unfavourable and advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL): chemotherapy with escalated BEACOPP (bleomycin/etoposide/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide/vincristine/procarbazine/prednisone) regimen and chemotherapy with ABVD (doxorubicin/bleomycin/vinblastine/dacarbazine) regimen.

Objectives: To provide an evidence-based answer regarding the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP compared to chemotherapy including ABVD.

Search Strategy: We searched for randomised controlled trials in MEDLINE, CENTRAL and conference proceedings (January 1985 to November 2010) and EMBASE (1985 to November 2008).

Dendritic cell based tumor vaccination in prostate and renal cell cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: More than 200 clinical trials have been performed using dendritic cells (DC) as cellular adjuvants in cancer. Yet the key question whether there is a link between immune and clinical response remains unanswered. Prostate and renal cell cancer (RCC) have been extensively studied for DC-based immunotherapeutic interventions and were therefore chosen to address the above question by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for early stage Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: Combined modality treatment (CMT) consisting of chemotherapy followed by localised radiotherapy is standard treatment for patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). However, due to long term adverse effects such as secondary malignancies, the role of radiotherapy has been questioned recently and some clinical study groups advocate chemotherapy only for this indication.

Objectives: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing chemotherapy alone with CMT in patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma with respect to response rate, progression-free survival (alternatively tumour control) and overall survival (OS).

Eleventh biannual report of the Cochrane Haematological Malignancies Group: Focus on Hodgkin lymphoma.

The 11th biannual report of the Cochrane Haematological Malignancies Group highlights recently published randomized controlled trials in the field of hemato-oncology that were identified through the continuous systematic search of MEDLINE. For this electronic search, a broad search filter covering all topics in hemato-oncology was combined with a highly sensitive search filter for randomized studies. This report covers publications from February 1, 2009, through August 31, 2009 (including electronic publications).

Combined modality treatment improves tumor control and overall survival in patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma: a systematic review.

Combined modality treatment (CMT) of chemotherapy followed by localized radiotherapy is standard treatment for patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, the role of radiotherapy has been questioned recently and some clinical study groups advocate chemotherapy only for this indication. We thus performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing chemotherapy alone with CMT in patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma with respect to response rate, tumor control and overall survival (OS).

Erythropoietin or Darbepoetin for patients with cancer--meta-analysis based on individual patient data.

Background: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) reduce anemia in cancer patients and may improve quality of life, but there are concerns that ESAs might increase mortality.

Objectives: Our objectives were to examine the effect of ESAs and identify factors that modify the effects of ESAs on overall survival, progression free survival, thromboembolic and cardiovascular events as well as need for transfusions and other important safety and efficacy outcomes in cancer patients.

Search Strategy: We searched the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase and conference proceedings for eligible trials.

Recombinant human erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and mortality in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Background: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents reduce anaemia in patients with cancer and could improve their quality of life, but these drugs might increase mortality. We therefore did a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in which these drugs plus red blood cell transfusions were compared with transfusion alone for prophylaxis or treatment of anaemia in patients with cancer.

Methods: Data for patients treated with epoetin alfa, epoetin beta, or darbepoetin alfa were obtained and analysed by independent statisticians using fixed-effects and random-effects meta-analysis.

Lymphocyte-predominant and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: a comprehensive analysis from the German Hodgkin Study Group.

Purpose: Lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma (LPHL) is rare and differs in histologic and clinical presentation from classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL). To shed more light on the prognosis and outcome of LPHL, we reviewed all LPHL patients registered in the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) database, comparing patient characteristics and treatment outcome with cHL patients.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 8,298 HL patients treated within the GHSG trials HD4 to HD12, of whom 394 had LPHL and 7,904 had cHL.

A Contribution to solve the problem of the need for consolidative radiotherapy after intensive chemotherapy in advanced stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma--analysis of a quality control program initiated by the radiotherapy reference center of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG).

Purpose: The role of radiotherapy (RT) after intensive chemotherapy in patients with advanced stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is still unclear. The German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) randomized HD12 trial was designed to test whether consolidative RT in the region of initial bulky disease and of residual disease is necessary after effective chemotherapy. A quality control program based on a multidisciplinary panel of radiation oncologists, radiologists, and medical oncologists who reviewed all patients' staging and restaging imaging was initiated.

Two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine plus extended-field radiotherapy is superior to radiotherapy alone in early favorable Hodgkin's lymphoma: final results of the GHSG HD7 trial.

Purpose: To investigate whether combined-modality treatment (CMT) with two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) followed by extended-field radiotherapy (EF-RT) is superior to EF-RT alone in patients with early favorable Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL).

Patients And Methods: Between 1993 and 1998, 650 patients with newly diagnosed, histology-proven HL in clinical stages IA to IIB without risk factors were enrolled onto this multicenter study and randomly assigned to receive 30 Gy EF-RT plus 10 Gy to the involved field (arm A) or two cycles of ABVD followed by the same radiotherapy (arm B). Results At a median observation time of 87 months, there was no difference between treatment arms in terms of complete response rate (arm A, 95%; arm B, 94%) and overall survival (at 7 years: arm A, 92%; arm B, 94%; P = .

Biophysical analysis of the acute toxicity of radiotherapy in Hodgkin's lymphoma--a comparison between extended field and involved field radiotherapy based on the data of the German Hodgkin Study Group.

Purpose: To determine biophysical parameters from the complication probability data during and after radiotherapy of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), based on the number of gastrointestinal side effects that were found in the multicenter HD8 trial of the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group.

Methods And Materials: Between 1993 and 1998, 1204 patients with newly diagnosed, histology-proven HL in clinical Stages I/IIA/IIB with defined risk factors and stage IIIA without risk factors were enrolled into the multicenter HD8 study. Patients were randomized to receive two cycles of COPP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) alternating with two cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) followed by radiotherapy (RT) of 30 Gy extended field plus 10 Gy to bulky disease (Arm A) or 30 Gy involved field plus 10 Gy to bulky disease (Arm B).