title: Radiotherapy alone for lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to analyze the results with radiotherapy alone in a select group of asymptomatic adults with nonbulky, early-stage lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1963 and 1995, 36 patients with nonbulky stage IA (N = 27) or IIA (N = 9) supradiaphragmatic (N = 27) or subdiaphragmatic (N = 9) lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease were treated with radiotherapy alone. Eleven of the patients underwent laparotomy. Limited-field radiotherapy involving only one side of the diaphragm and extended-field radiotherapy encompassing both sides of the diaphragm were used in 28 and 8 cases, respectively. Median dose to involved areas was 40.0 Gy given daily in 20 2.0-Gy fractions. Salvage treatmentconsisted of MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone, procarbazine), CVPP/ABDIC (cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone/doxorubicin, bleomycin, dacarbazine, lomustine, and prednisone), or ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) chemotherapy and/or involved-field radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 8.8 years (range, 3.0-34.4 years). None of the 15 patients with supradiaphragmatic disease who received limited-field radiotherapy to regions that did not include the mediastinal or hilar nodes subsequently experienced relapse there. Only one of 20 patients who received supradiaphragmatic limited-field radiotherapy alone experienced relapse in the paraaortic nodes or spleen. The 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rates for the 20 patients with stage IA lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease treated with involved-field or regional radiotherapy were 95% and 100%, respectively. There were no cases of severe or life-threatening cardiac toxicity. No solid tumors have been observed in-field in patients treated with limited-field radiotherapy, even though they have been followed up longer than those treated with extended-field radiotherapy (median follow-up, 11.6 vs 5.5 years); two solid tumors have developed in-field in patients who received extended-field radiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Involved-field or regional radiotherapy alone may be adequate in stage IA lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease patients. Longer follow-up will help to more clearly define the risks of cardiac toxicity and solid tumors that result from involved-field or regional radiotherapy, which appear to be low based on follow-up to date.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030-4009, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schlembach
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wilder
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Chul S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fayad
authors.forename: Anas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Younes
authors.forename: Fredrick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hagemeister
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cabanillas
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D011344:Procarbazine; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D008130:Lomustine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D011241:Prednisone