title: Clinical characteristics and treatment response of Hodgkin's lymphoma in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is particularly rare in Asia, including Taiwan. The report concerning its clinical features and treatment outcomes in Asians is limited. An exploration of the characteristics of HL in this area is of importance for future studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 133 patients with HL diagnosed between January 1985 and December 2004 at National Taiwan University Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age distribution revealed a young-adult peak at the age around 20 years. The nodular sclerosis type (NS-HL) was the most common histopathologic subtype (45%), followed by mixed cellularity (29%), lymphocyte predominant (13%), and lymphocyte depleted subtype (2%). The incidence of NS-HL was, however, lower compared with that in the West (around 70%). The male to female ratio was approximately 1:2 in patients with NS-HL, in contrast to the male predominance in patients with other subtypes. Induction therapy led to complete remission (CR) in 87% of patients. At a median follow-up of 78 months, the 10-year overall survival (OS) was 79% in all HL patients and was 90% in those who achieved first CR. In multivariate analysis, the achievement of CR was the only independent factor associated with good OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment response of HL in Taiwan is good and comparable to that in Western countries. The epidemiologic differences between Taiwan and the West mandate further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chien-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ih-Jen
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jih-Luh
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Wen-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Bo-Sheng
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Sheng-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Woei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tsay
authors.forename: Yao-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chiu-Hwa
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hwei-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tien
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome