One example, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs or MoAbs), are laboratory-produced antibodies (proteins) that locate and bind to specific substances (antigens) on cancerous cells, and eventually destroy the cells.
Some monoclonal antibodies are now being used to treat Hodgkin's disease:
1. Rituximab (Rituxan®)
This antibody attaches to a substance called CD20 found on some types of lymphoma cells, which seems to cause the lymphoma cell to die. Rituximab may be used to treat nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin disease (NLPHD), often with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Rituximab is given as an IV infusion in the doctor’s office or clinic. When it is used by itself to treat lymphoma, it is usually given once a week for 4 weeks, which may then be repeated several months later. When it is combined with chemotherapy, it is most often given on the first day of each chemo cycle.
2. Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris™)
This drug is an anti-CD30 antibody attached to a chemotherapy drug. Hodgkin's lymphoma cells usually have the CD30 molecule on their surface. The antibody acts like a homing signal, bringing the chemo drug to the lymphoma cells, where it enters the cells and causes them to die when they try to divide into new cells.
This drug has been shown to help many people whose hodgkin's lymphoma has come back after other treatments, including a stem cell transplant (see next section), as well as people who can’t have a stem cell transplant. It is also being studied to see if it can be given with chemotherapy and if can be helpful earlier in the course of the disease.
Brentuximab is given as an infusion into a vein (IV) every 3 weeks. Common side effects include nerve damage (neuropathy), low blood counts, fatigue, fever, nausea and vomiting, infections, diarrhea, and cough. Rarely, more severe side effects occur during infusions, such as trouble breathing and low blood pressure.
Side Effect
