title: Salvage chemotherapy in Hodgkin's disease. Results in patients relapsing more than twelve months after first complete remission.
abstract: Forty-nine patients with Hodgkin's disease who relapsed after a first complete remission of more than 12 months following primary chemotherapy were treated with salvage therapy regimens. A total of 41 patients (84%) achieved complete remission. In particular, complete response was documented in 17 of 19 patients re-treated with the same initial drug combination. The five-year freedom from progression, relapse-free and overall survivals were 51%, 57% and 65%, respectively. In our experience, consolidation radiotherapy following drug-induced remission failed to improve the five-year relapse-free survival. Present findings indicate that about half of patients relapsing after a disease-free interval exceeding 12 months can remain alive and disease-free 5 years after starting salvage chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viviani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negretti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bonfante
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valagussa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonadonna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011238:Prednimustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012008:Recurrence; D014747:Vinblastine; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D011344:Procarbazine; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D005047:Etoposide; D008130:Lomustine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D011238:Prednimustine; D011241:Prednisone