Immune booster before chemo may shrink hodgkin tumors with fewer drugs

NCT ID NCT06164275

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Northwestern University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether giving six doses of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before a limited course of chemotherapy can effectively treat classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The study includes patients with advanced or high-risk disease, as well as elderly patients. Participants receive pembrolizumab first, then only 2–4 cycles of chemotherapy if they achieve a complete response. The goal is to see if this sequence can reduce the total chemotherapy burden without compromising cancer control.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: pembrolizumab
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could reduce the amount of chemotherapy needed for Hodgkin lymphoma, potentially lowering side effects while maintaining effectiveness.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial (30 participants) without a control group, so results may not apply broadly. Pembrolizumab can cause immune-related side effects.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

classic Hodgkin lymphoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

CLASSIC HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Cadence Health - CDH

Warrenville, Illinois, 60555, United States
Northwestern Delnor IL258

Geneva, Illinois, 60134, United States
Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
Stanford Cancer Center

Stanford, California, 94305-5824, United States

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