A global clinical trial successfully reduced toxicity and side effects in advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma patients by using a modified treatment regimen.
Mark Herzberg is a Professor of Clinical Haematology involved in clinical trials for patients with blood cancers, particularly lymphoma, leukaemia, and myeloma, in Australia and New Zealand.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a common cancer with varied symptoms, and treatment typically involves chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy.
Approximately 800 Australian patients are diagnosed with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma each year, with staging determined through imaging and blood tests.
Advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma is treated with outpatient combination chemotherapy using two major regimens (ABVD and escalated BEACOPP) worldwide, with a global clinical trial involving nine cooperative groups in nine countries and 1500 patients.
The ALLG contributed 115 patients across 16 sites in Australia and New Zealand to a groundbreaking clinical trial.
A global clinical trial successfully reduced toxicity and side effects in advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma patients by using a modified treatment regimen incorporating a new drug, Brentuximab Vedotin.
Patients experienced fewer side effects, such as anaemia, low platelet counts, peripheral neuropathy, and gonadal toxicity, while preserving fertility, with the modified BrECADD regimen in the treatment of advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma.
Most patients with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma remained disease-free after three years of treatment, with a significant reduction in toxicity and shorter duration of treatment, allowing them to resume normal life and work sooner.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Mark Hertzberg in his role in the ALLG HD10 Clinical Trial and as a former Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG), an organisation involved in improving the treatments and lives of blood cancer patients.
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Victorian social prescribing program underway
n Part 2 of the Models of Care on Social Prescribing, Australian Health Journal spoke to 4 people involved in the Connect Local program under the Connecting Communities to Care 4 year program. The free program for over 65’s promotes wellbeing through social connection and is underway in the Glen Eira community in Melbourne.
– Deidre McGill, Executive General Manager, At Home Support, Bolton Clarke
– Ann Van Leerdam, Connect Local Community Connector, Bolton Clarke
– Dr Rajna Ogrin, Senior Research Fellow, Bolton Clarke Research Institute, Bolton Clarke - Dr Daniel Fineberg, Deputy Director General Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Victoria -
Handling modern day diets and misinformation as a HCP
Laureate Professor Clare Collins AO in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle, emphasises the need for accurate and reliable nutrition information to reach the public. Prof Collins believes that it is vital for clinicians to stay up-to-date with cutting-edge nutrition science and work with communication organisations to disseminate information to the general public. This is particularly important as social media is full of both reliable and unreliable information on dietary patterns, such as veganism.
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Australian Teletrial Program reaches significant milestones in trials and participants
Launched in 2022, the Australian Teletrial Program is an initiative designed to improve access to clinical trials for people living in regional and remote areas of Australia. It uses telemedicine and digital technologies to enable patients to participate in clinical trials without needing to travel long distances to major metropolitan centres, which can often be a barrier to participation for those in rural and isolated locations.
Recently Australian Health Journal met with Kaye Hewson, Director, Australian Teletrials Program, who spoke about the program’s recent achievements.
