Controversies in radiotherapy for pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Cure rates for pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma remain among the highest in pediatric oncology. Research efforts are currently focused on minimizing treatment-related toxicity without compromising outcomes. For children with early stage/favorable Hodgkin's lymphoma, the standard treatment includes 2-4 cycles of combination chemotherapy, generally followed by low-dose involved-field radiotherapy. Children with advanced stage/unfavorable disease require more intense treatment than those with favorable disease. The standard treatment for advanced stage/unfavorable disease is 4–6 cycles of intense multiagent non-cross-resistant chemotherapy and involved-field radiotherapy. Response-adapted therapy is emerging as a promising strategy to attenuate therapy and thereby reduce toxicity in children with an excellent prognosis and intensify therapy in those children at higher risk of progression or relapse.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford Cancer Center, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Ellen A
EA
Wiegner
Sarah S
SS
Donaldson
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018450:Disease Progression; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012307:Risk Factors