Management of early stage Hodgkin's disease: the role of radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
Clinical trials in early stage Hodgkin's disease comparing radiation therapy (RT) alone versus chemotherapy (CMT) have indicated fewer relapses in the CMT groups. However, none of the trials have demonstrated an overall survival difference. Risk factors for relapse in early stages include large mediastinal adenopathy, fevers, and weight loss. Ongoing clinical trials might prove less toxic CMT effective in curing occult microscopic disease, perhaps eventually obviating the need for staging laparotomy and splenectomy.
Mauch
P M
PM
Department of Radiation Therapy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic