Real-world effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin versus physicians’ choice chemotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma following autologous stem cell transplantation in the United Kingdom and Germany

Figures & data

Figure 1. Patient selection.

Table 1. Patient characteristics before and after propensity score weighting.

	Prior to propensity score weighting			After propensity score weighting
Characteristics	BV N = 196	Chemotherapy N = 116	p value	BV	Chemotherapy	p value
Age, mean (SD)	45.7 (15.4)	47.8 (15.8)	.251	45.7 (15.4)	44.1 (14.4)	.398
Age ≥45 years, %	50.5	54.3	.516	50.5	47.2	.639
Male, %	56.1	56.9	.894	56.1	54.2	.784
Race, %			.191			.083
Asian/other	6.1	1.7		6.1	1.4
Black/African	3.6	3.4		3.6	1.7
Caucasian	90.3	94.8		90.3	96.9
Charlson Comorbidity Index, mean (SD)	0.4 (0.8)	0.6 (1.0)	.107	0.4 (0.8)	0.4 (0.9)	.648
Front-line treatment, %			.919		67.8	.725
ABVD	69.4	67.2		69.4	28.7
BEACOPP	25.5	27.6		25.5	3.5
Other	5.1	5.2		5.1
Time from end of frontline therapy to relapse, %			.600			.812
≤3 months	15.8	18.1		15.8	16.9
>3 months	84.2	81.9		84.2	83.1
Exposure to radiotherapy pre-ASCT, %			.030			.599
None	55.6	61.2		55.6	59.9
During frontline or second-line	26.0	13.8		26.0	19.7
Between lines of therapy	18.4	25.0		18.4	20.4
Total treatment cycles administered prior to ASCT, mean (SD)	7.8 (2.2)	8.0 (2.0)	.319	7.8 (2.2)	7.7 (2.0)	.824
Response to salvage therapy prior to ASCT, %			.859			.546
PD or SD	12.8	12.1		12.8	10.3
PR or CR	87.2	87.9		87.2	89.7
More than 2 chemotherapy regimens prior to ASCT, %	8.2	2.6	.047	8.2	3.9	.157
B symptoms at time of ASCT,%			.445			.812
≥1	14.8	10.3		14.8	14.7
None	83.7	87.1		83.7	84.5
Not assessed	1.5	2.6		1.5	0.8
Extranodal disease at the time of ASCT, %	34.2	34.5	.957	34.2	36.8	.693
Clinical stage at ASCT relapse, N %			.235			.797
≤III	70.9	64.7		70.9	71.8
IV	27.0	30.2		27.0	25.1
Not assessed	2.0	5.2		2.0	3.1
Bulky disease (≥5 cm) at ASCT relapse, %	83.7	75.9	.091	83.7	84.8	.798
ECOG ≥1 at ASCT relapse, %	75.5	65.5	.058	75.5	69.1	.269
WBC >15 × 10^9/L at ASCT relapse, %	3.1	3.4	.809	3.1	3.1	.989
Anemia (Hgb <12.0 g/dL for males, <10.5 g/dL for females) at ASCT relapse, %	39.8	27.6	.091	39.8	28.7	.215

Table 2. Physicians’ choice chemotherapy regimens used in study patients.

Regimen	N (%)
Gemcitabine based	47 (41.9)
CHOP	11 (9.5)
ICE	11 (9.5)
Bendamustine	9 (7.8)
ABVD	5 (4.3)
DHAP	4 (3.4)
ESHAP	4 (3.4)
CHLVPP	4 (3.4)
Vinblastine	4 (3.4)
BEACOPP	3 (2.6)
Other*	13 (11.2)

* Other regimens included CHOEP, CVP, Dexa-BEAM, EPOCH, etoposide, IVE, nivolumab, R-IVAC and VEDEX.

Table 3. Best response to treatment with BV or chemotherapy, propensity djusted.

	BV N = 196	Chemotherapy N = 116	p value
Overall response	80.6%	68.2%	.0165
Complete response	45.4%	44.2%
Partial response	35.2%	24.0%
Stable disease	11.2%	9.5%
Progressive disease	7.7%	22.3%
Ongoing treatment	0.5%	0.0%

Figure 2. Propensity adjusted Kaplan–Meier curve for PFS from Initiation of postrelapse therapy.

Table 4. Adverse events occurring during treatment.

	BV N = 196	Chemotherapy N = 116
Leukopenia	25 (12.8)	14 (12.1)
Peripheral neuropathy	17 (8.7)	2 (1.7)
Anemia	18 (9.2)	6 (5.2)
Thrombocytopenia	9 (4.6)	5 (4.3)
Diarrhea	5 (2.6)	6 (5.2)
Mucositis	3 (1.5)	6 (5.2)