LEUKOPENIA PROGNOSIS DURING RADIATION-THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HODGKINS-DISEASE

The investigation goal of the present report is to use the early post- radiation peripheral blood DNA content changes during radiotherapy (RT ) of cancer patients for the prognosis of the subsequent leukopenia va lue. Twenty-three primary patients with II-III stage Hodgkin's disease were treated at the linear accelerator of 15 Mev electrons by usual f ractionation to total 40 Gy dose. The blood DNA content was fluorometr ically determined by 4',6-diamidino-2phenylindole before treatment, th en 24 hrs after the Ist irradiation dose, in the middle and at the end of RT course. Retrospective analysis of obtained data demonstrated, t hat the first group of patients, having blood leukocyte levels above 3 x10(9)/l at the end of RT, revealed an average blood DNA concentration decrease only after the middle of treatment course. The second group of patients, having at the end of RT severe leukopenia, showed an appr oximately twofold decrease of the DNA concentration after the first ir radiation in 62% of cases. The biochemical change was not accompanied by a proportional decrease of the leukocites amount. The DNA content f all, at the middle and at the end of RT course, was conditioned both b y lymphocytes and granulocytes. These changes were not practically int erfaced with plasma changes. Thus, a given biochemical criterium may b e used as a sensitive index for the prognosis of leukopenia values aft er the RT beginning. Such a conclusion was confirmed by in vitro test- irradiation of blood specimens of primary patients with Hodgkin's dise ase. A significant correlation was found between the new index and the level of leukopenia of the patient's blood during posttreatment cours e.