Childhood stage IV Hodgkin disease: Therapeutic results of the Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group

Background. The therapeutic management in patients with stage IV Hodgkin di sease is still controversial. Procedure. Among 783 children with Hodgkin di sease treated from 1971 to 1996, 56 patients (7.3%) were diagnosed with sta ge IV. The treatment consisted of MVPP or MVPP/B-DOPA chemotherapy combined with involved-field radiotherapy in 50 children. Results. The results of t reatment of stage IV patients were compared in the three sequential time pe riods, during which the therapy was modified. in these periods, the first c omplete remission was obtained in 67%, 86%, and 90% of children, respective ly, and the 10-year event-free survival was 42%, 64%, and 85%, respectively . Conclusions. Alternate multidrug chemotherapy combined with low-dose invo lved-field radiotherapy is at present a satisfactory therapeutic method in children with stage IV Hodgkin disease. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 33:382-387, 19 99. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.