[Hodgkin's lymphoma in adolescents: where to treat it--in an adult or pediatric institution?].
Adolescent patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) are treated either in pediatric, or in adult oncological wards.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of our work was to compare the treatment modalities and the survival rates in adolescents with HL treated in adult (A) or pediatric (P) institutes.


METHODS
From January 1990 to December 2004, 138 patients (14-21 years) with HL were treated in two adult institutes (A) and 107 in the 10 centres of the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network (P).


RESULTS
Male:female ratio was 1:1.15 (A) and 1:1.38 (P). The mean age was 18.6 (A) and 15.7 (P) years. There was no difference between the distribution of the stages in the two patient groups. The distribution of histological subtypes (A and P): nodular sclerosing 47% and 59%, mixed cellularity 45% and 25%, lymphocyte rich 1.5% and 10%, lymphocyte depleted 4% and 1%, nodular lymphocyte predominant 1.5% and 3% and unknown 1% and 2%. The majority of the patients were treated with ABVD (A) and OPPA/OEPA +/- COPP (P). One hundred and fifteen (A) and 97 (P) adolescents received irradiation therapy. 80% (A) and 91% (A) of the patients got radiotherapy. In group A 14%, in group P 13% of the patients had relapse. In group A 16 patients died and in group P 7. There was no significant difference in the overall survival (OS) rates at 5 and 10 years in the two patient groups. The event-free survival (EFS) was 76.5 +/- 4% and 72.5 +/- 4% at 5 and 10 years in group A, and 85.3 +/- 4% at both times in group P ( p = 0.0452).


CONCLUSIONS
Survival rates in HL are quite high, 80-90% of the patients can be cured. Event-free survival was higher in pediatric than in adult institutes. In case of patients younger than 18 years, the survival rates were much better in pediatric institutes, so these patients should be treated in pediatric institutes or with protocols used by the pediatricians.
Müller
Judit
J
Semmelweis Egyetem, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar II. Gyermekgyógyászati Klinika, Budapest. muller@gyer2.sote.hu
Molnár
Zsuzsanna
Z
Illés
Arpád
A
Csóka
Monika
M
Jakab
Zsuzsanna
Z
Deák
Beáta
B
Schneider
Tamás
T
Várady
Erika
E
Rosta
András
A
Simon
Zsófia
Z
Keresztes
Katalin
K
Gergely
Lajos
L
Kovács
Gábor
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
D001761:Bleomycin; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone