[Outcome of 70 patients diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease after first-line and salvage treatment: experience at one center].

BACKGROUND: Retrospective analysis of 70 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and treated consecutively in our center between 1979 and 1993.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: All ganglionar biopsies were reviewed and finally 60 patients were selected: 43 males and 17 females with a median age of 39 years (12-79) and the following features: 55% III-IV stages, 25% extranodal involvement, 32% bulky mediastinum and 57% B-symptoms. Scheme of treatment: Only radiotherapy in 9 patients with localized stages and no adverse factors; only chemotherapy in 25 with advanced stages and combined therapy in 15 with localized stages and any adverse factor and in 7 with advanced stage and bulky disease. Chemotherapy was mainly based on MOPP until 1987 and MOPP/ABVD afterwards. Only four patients did not follow this scheme: 2 due to progression, 1 due to toxicity and 1 due to medical decision.

RESULTS: Fifty patients achieved complete remission (CR), 2 partial and 8 minimal response or progression under therapy. Eleven patients have died: 6 due to HD, 4 of second neoplasias and 1 of an opportunistic infection. With a median follow-up for surviving patients of 4.8 years (1-2), the estimated overall survival at 8 years is 67.7% (SD 9%), tumor mortality 82.6% (SD 7%) and progression free survival 66.7% (SD 7%). Disease free survival for CR patients is 78.4% (SD 9%). Response to treatment was the only factor significantly associated with survival (p = 0.0001). The estimated survival for CR patients who relapsed is 92.3% versus 28% for those who did not obtain a CR (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: In our experience, first line therapy adjusted to clinical features at diagnosis has good results. Response to treatment has been the determinant factor for survival, mostly because salvage treatments, including high-dose chemotherapy approaches, have been of little effectiveness.