VERY LATE RELAPSE OF HODGKINS-DISEASE AFTER 24 YEARS OF COMPLETE REMISSION

With current treatment modalities, most patients with early stage Hodg kin's disease (HD) can be cured. Patients destined to relapse, usually do so within 3 years after treatment completion. Late relapses do occ ur but disease recurrence beyond 15 years is extremely rare. We report a patient with clinical stage IIA nodular sclerosis HD, originally tr eated with radiotherapy alone, who relapsed 24 years after the initial diagnosis. Our patient's case indicates the possible need for lifelon g surveillance of patients with Hodgkin's disease.