[Experience with and perspectives of an extended radical regimen of radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease with prophylactic irradiation of the liver and the lungs].

The end-results of extended radical radiotherapy for stage II-III Hodgkin's disease with apparent factors of risk of relapse in the lung and/or liver are presented. The procedure included prophylactic irradiation of both organs. Ten-year relapse-free survival in the lung-irradiation group was 85.9%, overall 10-year survival--94.0%; the liver-irradiation group--90.0 and 94.7%, respectively. Preventive irradiation was shown to significantly decrease the influence of such risks as extended lesions of the mediastinum and spleen. Relapse in the lung was recorded in one case (1.6%) only, with no tumor progression defected in the liver. Significant increase in 5- and 10-year relapse-free survival was established in the lung-irradiation group, as a result of a comparison of the study group and that of controls who showed characteristic signs of intrathoracic risk. Significant difference in overall survival was recorded for the first three years only. As far as the liver-irradiation factor is concerned, the rise in both categories of survival was significant for the 10 years. It is suggested that patients with stage II-III Hodgkin's disease receive prophylactic irradiation whenever they reveal significant signs of risk of relapse in the lung and/or liver.