Study of Rituximab and Brentuximab Vedotin for Relapsed Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

This research is being done to study a combination of drugs for relapsed Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) that may be easier to tolerate than standard therapies and that does not involve an autologous blood or marrow transplant (BMT, also called a stem cell transplant).The study is for people with HL who have never received treatment for relapsed lymphoma, except for radiation therapy. Usually, when HL relapses for the first time, the standard is to receive combinations of chemotherapy, including an autologous blood or marrow transplant (BMT, also called a stem cell transplant) which has about a 40% cure rate. BMT may cure the HL, but also may be associated with serious side effects and risks. This research looks at a combination of drugs for relapsed HL that may not have the side effects of standard therapies and that does not involve BMT. The goal is to treat the lymphoma effectively with drugs that we expect will have fewer side effects, while avoiding a treatment like BMT.