Chemotherapy--radiotherapy association in Hodgkin's disease, clinical stages IA, II2A: results of a prospective clinical trial with 166 patients.

One hundred sixty-six patients with clinical stages IA, II2A Hodgkin's disease were treated between April 1972 and December 1976 with three courses of multiagent chemotherapy (methylchlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) followed by mantle irradiation--excluding mediastinum for those with initial upper cervical presentation and absence of mediastinal involvement--or inverted Y radiotherapy. None had staging laparotomy. With a follow-up of 12--84 months, median 40 months, the overall survival is 93.5% and the overall relapse-free survival 89.9%. Eight patients died, three of them with evident disease. Ten patients relapsed; four are now free of disease after retreatment. With chemotherapy-radiotherapy sequence, staging laparotomy is not indicated. Results and side effects of this treatment strategy are compared with those of other treatment policies.