[Results of therapy in Hodgkin's disease]

Abstract

The results of therapy in 239 patients (161 men, 78 women, median age 33 [13-80] years) who had been treated for Hodgkin's disease between 1972 and 1986 were evaluated retrospectively. The proportion of complete remissions depended on the stage of the disease and was 90% (35 out of 39 patients) for stage IA, 90% (9 out of 10) for stage IB, 84% (40 out of 48) for stage IIA, 88% (22 out of 25) for stage IIB and 86% (37 out of 43) for stage IIIA. At five and ten years, survival rates among patients in stages IA to IIB were 76 and 69%, respectively, and for patients in stage IIIA 81 and 52%, respectively. For patients who enjoyed complete remissions the probability of surviving for 5 or 10 years without recurrence was 62% or 54%, respectively, for stages IA to IIB, and 75 or 43%, respectively, for stage IIIA. There were no statistically significant differences between stages I, II and IIIA as regards remission rate, survival time or recurrence-free survival time. During these stages the patient's age proved to be the only prognostic factor of any statistical significance. For stages IIIB and for IVA and IVB the proportion of complete remissions achieved by combined chemotherapy with COPP was 62%. At 5 and 10 years the proportion of these patients in permanent remission was 63 and 53%, respectively, while survival rates in the entire series were 46% and 40%, respectively. A genuine cure--in the sense of at least 10 years' survival without recurrence after the first complete remission--can be expected in one third of patients in stages IIIB to IVB.