Background: We concluded a program in which we administered radiotherapy only to clinical stages I and II Hodgkin's disease patients at standard risk, with the addition of 4 cycles of combination chemotherapy before radiotherapy for high-risk patients.
Patients and methods: From 1980 to 1991, 313 patients with clinical stages I or II Hodgkin's disease underwent treatment in our hospital. Fifty percent of the patients in groups previously identified as being at high risk for relapse received 4 cycles of combination chemotherapy before radiotherapy. The remaining half of the patients received radiotherapy only.
Results: Low- and high-risk patients aged 15-59 years had, respectively, complete remission (CR) rates of 97% and 94%, 5-year survivals of 95% and 91%, and 5-year freedom from relapse (FFR) rates of 78% and 89%. Older low- and high-risk groups had CR rates of 97% and 93%, 5-year survivals of 60% and 56% and 5-year FFR of 77% and 93%, respectively.
Conclusion: Here we present our favorable results after treating standard-risk patients with clinical stages I and II Hodgkin's disease with radiotherapy only. With the addition of chemotherapy, the rate of relapse in the high-risk patients was reduced below that of the standard-risk patients. Overall survival was the same for the high- and standard-risk patients.