• 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of HIV-negative patients after treatment with 2 courses of ABVD [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• 2-year PFS of patients who are PET-positive after treatment with ABVD and escalated-dose BEACOPP [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• 2-year overall survival (OS) [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Complete and partial response rates [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Toxicity as assessed by NCI CTCAE v3.0 [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  
• Feasibility of centralized, real-time review of FDG-PET imaging [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Overall response rate, complete response rate, PFS, and OS of HIV-positive patients treated with response-adapted regimens [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• To estimate the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of HIV-negative patients with stage III-IV Hodgkin lymphoma treated with response-adapted therapy based on fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET imaging after 2 courses of doxorubicin hydrochloride, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD).
• To estimate the 2-year PFS of patients who are PET-positive after treatment with 2 courses of ABVD and an escalated dose regimen comprising cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, etoposide, vincristine sulfate, bleomycin, procarbazine hydrochloride, and prednisone (BEACOPP).

Secondary

• To estimate the 2-year overall survival (OS) of patients treated with these regimens.
• To estimate the response rate (i.e., complete and partial responses) in patients treated with these regimens.
• To evaluate the toxicity of these response-adapted regimens.
• To document the feasibility of centralized, real-time review of FDG-PET imaging for U.S. cooperative group studies.
• To prospectively evaluate the overall response rate, complete response rate, PFS, and OS of HIV-positive patients treated with these response-adapted regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

All patients undergo baseline whole-body fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET/CT imaging before beginning chemotherapy. Patients then receive doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, bleomycin IV, vinblastine IV, and dacarbazine IV (ABVD) on days 1 and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Between days 22 and 25 of course 2, patients undergo a second FDG-PET/CT scan to assess response. Subsequent therapy is based on FDG-PET/CT scan results. Patients are stratified according to FDG-PET positivity (yes vs no). Patients who are FDG-PET-negative continue treatment with ABVD for up to 4 additional courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who are FDG-PET-positive are then further stratified according to HIV positivity (yes or no) and receive 1 of the following treatment regimens:

• Escalated-dose BEACOPP chemotherapy: HIV-negative patients receive escalated-dose BEACOPP chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride IV and cyclophosphamide IV on day 1, etoposide IV on days 1-3, oral procarbazine hydrochloride on days 1-7, oral prednisone on days 1-14, and bleomycin IV and vincristine IV on day 8. Patients receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously on days 8-14. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
• Standard-dose BEACOPP chemotherapy: HIV-positive patients receive standard dose BEACOPP chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride IV and cyclophosphamide IV on day 1, etoposide IV on days 1-3, oral procarbazine hydrochloride on days 1-7, oral prednisone on days 1-14, and bleomycin IV and vincristine IV on day 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Six to eight weeks after completion of chemotherapy, patients undergo a post-treatment FDG-PET scan.

Some patients may undergo bone marrow biopsy at 1 month after the last course of chemotherapy.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed for 7 years.