Hodgkin’s Disease Treatments — Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal Antibodies for Hodgkin's Disease

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) provides various biotherapies as treatment options for Hodgkin’s disease patients. One innovative form of biotherapy (also called immunotherapy) for Hodgkin’s disease is the use of monoclonal antibodies (sometimes abbreviated as MoAbs, or MAbs).

Monoclonal antibody therapy uses the development of specific antibodies (protein molecules produced by B cells as a primary immune defense) and directs them against antigens (substances that are capable of inducing a specific immune response) located on the surface of tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies will bind to these antigens on the surface of Hodgkin’s disease tumor cells, eventually killing the cancer which expresses them.

Cancer doctors at CTCA start the treatment process by first taking samples of your Hodgkin’s disease tumor cells and processing them to detect antigens. In order for this approach to work, a sufficient quantity of antigens unique to the tumor cells must be present. Additionally, the Hodgkin’s disease antigens must be different enough from the antigens of normal cells to provoke an antibody response.

The antibodies produced by this method can be used either alone to kill cancer cells, or as carriers of other substances used to treat or diagnose Hodgkin’s disease. For example, chemotherapeutic agents can be attached to monoclonal antibodies to deliver high concentrations of anti-cancer drugs directly to the Hodgkin’s disease tumor cells. In theory, this approach is less toxic and may be more effective than conventional chemotherapy because it helps to target cancerous cells only and protect surrounding healthy tissue.

During the diagnostic process, monoclonal antibodies may be used to carry radioactive substances to cancer cells within your body. This technique pinpoints the location of metastases previously undetected by other methods.

In general, monoclonal antibody therapy has been useful in treating hematologic malignancies like leukemia and lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies are also being developed for use against solid tumors. All of these antibodies have multiple potential applications including nuclear imaging, surgical mapping, and direct therapy in multiple settings (e.g., alone, in conjunction with chemotherapy, for treatment of metastases, in adjuvant settings, in high dose rates, etc.)

Potential side effects of using monoclonal antibodies for Hodgkin’s disease treatment may include: 

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath) and mild wheezing
• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Rash
• Nausea and vomiting
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Allergic reactions

Next Topic: Complementary and Alternative Medicines for Hodgkin's Disease