Definitive irradiation in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Analysis of outcome, prognostic factors, and long-term complications.
BACKGROUND
In the curative treatment of Hodgkin's disease, many institutions give doses above 40 Gray (Gy). To assess the effectiveness of treating patients with 35 Gy, data from a single institution regarding survival, prognostic factors, patterns of failure, and secondary complications were reviewed.


METHODS
Data for a total of 172 patients with Hodgkin's disease were reviewed. All patients received definitive irradiation between 1971 and 1994. Median follow-up was 110 months. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate survival, relapse-free survival, and complication rates.


RESULTS
Relapse-free survival was 83% at 5 years and 76% at 10 years. The only two prognostic factors related to relapse-free survival were the stage of disease and the number of sites. The involved infield control rate was 96%. The 10-year estimates of hypothyroidism and second malignancies were 14% and 10%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Doses of 35 Gy are adequate for treating Hodgkin's disease. The stage of disease and the number of sites are predictive of relapse-free survival. The incidence of late complications necessitates long term surveillance of these patients.
Sears
J D
JD
Department of Radiation Oncology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Greven
K M
KM
Ferree
C R
CR
D'Agostino
R B
RB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure