VAMP and low-dose, involved-field radiation for children and adolescents with favorable, early-stage Hodgkin's disease: results of a prospective clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcome and assess toxicity of children and adolescents with early-stage, favorable Hodgkin's disease treated with vinblastine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and prednisone (VAMP) and low-dose, involved-field radiation.


METHODS
One hundred ten patients with clinical stages I and II, favorable (nonbulky) Hodgkin's disease were treated with four cycles of VAMP chemotherapy and 15 Gy involved-field radiation for those who achieved a complete response, or 25.5 Gy for those who achieved a partial response to two cycles of VAMP.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up of 5.6 years (range, 1.1 to 10.4 years), the 5-year survival and event-free survival were 99% (lower confidence limit [CL], 97.4%) and 93% (lower CL, 88.6%), respectively. Factors associated with event-free survival of 100% were complete response to two cycles of VAMP and histology other than nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease (NSHD). No serious early or late toxicity has been observed. Patients presenting with clinical stages I and IIA, nonbulky disease involving fewer than three nodal sites have a projected survival and event-free survival of 100% and 97% (lower CL, 93%), respectively, at 5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Risk-adapted, combined-modality therapy using only four cycles of VAMP chemotherapy with 15 to 25.5 Gy of involved-field radiation for patients with early-stage/favorable Hodgkin's disease is highly effective and without demonstrable late effects. These results indicate that pediatric patients with stages I and II favorable Hodgkin's disease can be cured with limited therapy that does not include an alkylating agent, bleomycin, etoposide, or high-dose, extended-field radiation therapy.
Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA. sarah@reyes.stanford.edu
Sarah S
SS
Donaldson
Melissa M
MM
Hudson
Kathleen R
KR
Lamborn
Michael P
MP
Link
Larry
L
Kun
Amy Louise
AL
Billett
Karen C
KC
Marcus
Craig A
CA
Hurwitz
Jeffrey A
JA
Young
Nancy J
NJ
Tarbell
Howard J
HJ
Weinstein
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D008727:Methotrexate