[Role of radiotherapy in the treatment of stage IIIB Hodgkin's disease in children]

Abstract

Five-year therapeutic results were studied in 47 patients aged 2 to 14 to elucidate the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of stage IIIB Hodgkin's disease. 23 patients received combined chemotherapy after MOPP and COPP schemes; 24 patients received chemoradiotherapy including all lesions detected before treatment (12 persons) or the so called "manifesting" areas (the rest of 12 patients) in the zone of radiation exposure. Combined chemotherapy was shown to be not the only method of specific treatment as the resultant complete remission was achieved only in 15 (65.2%) out of 23 patients. The 5-year survival rate was 72%; a recurrence-free course was noted in 52.2% of the patients in complete remission. A complete remission was achieved in all 24 patients on chemoradiotherapy. The 5-year survival rate was 94.3%, a recurrence-free course was noted in 63.9% of the patients. Slightly better, though statistically insignificant results due to a small number of patients in the groups were achieved in irradiation of all zones of lesions detected before treatment (the 5-year survival rate was 100%, a recurrence-free course 72.7%) as opposed to those in irradiation of the "manifesting" zones only (84.6 and 54.8% respectively). A conclusion was made of the importance of irradiation in the treatment of stage IIIB Hodgkin's disease in children raising 5-year survival rates.