Preface – ISHL 2022

©MSKCC – Alison J. Moskowitz, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cancer Center and Weill Cornell, Medical College, New York, NY

Dear Colleagues,

The International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma (ISHL) that was organized by the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) and held in Cologne, Germany, and virtually from 22^nd–24^th October 2022 covered relevant aspects of Hodgkin’s lymphoma research as well as updates on current treatment strategies. This year, a novel session on cellular therapies featuring world-leading experts who discussed recent developments in basic research and clinical application was included. However, the main focus of this meeting was on older and frail patients as well as patients with early-stage disease.

This issue of memo inHaematology offers findings presented at this year’s ISHL in the area of clinical research, immunological mechanisms, and new therapeutic agents. Trial results showed durable remissions with PD-1 blockade plus chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in the relapsed/refractory setting. Moreover, the antibody-drug conjugate ­brentuximab vedotin in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors attracted particular attention. Optimal treatment after failure of immunotherapy is still under investigation. Here, phase I/II data demonstrated promising activity of an anti-LAG3 antibody plus PD-1-targeted therapy.

Additionally, the prognostic role of circulating tumor DNA monitoring is outlined with encouraging results implying that ctDNA might be a more sensitive and specific measure of residual disease than positron emission tomography. ­Innovations with pembrolizumab for pediatric patients and young adults with slow early response to initial treatment are also discussed.

Last but not least, this issue looks at the interplay between immune cells in anti-PD-1–treated classical Hodgkin lymphoma, the cGAS-STING immune response pathway, and a potential future target called casein kinase II.

Once again, the International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma ­offered an outstanding platform of exchange for international experts to transfer the latest findings from research into ­practice-orientated therapeutic approaches.

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