Hodgkin's disease in children: A retrospective study of the 20-year experience (1968–1987) at a single institute

Between 1968 and 1987, 356 previously untreated consecutive children with Hodgkin's disease (HD), aged under 14, were treated at the Pediatric Department of N.N. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology (St. Petersburg, Russia). Prevailing among histologic subtypes were lymphocytic predominance and mixed cellularity (34 and 31.7%, respectively). Two-thirds of the patients (67.7%) were with Stages III-IV and one-third (32.3%) with Stages I-II. Radiation therapy (RT) as a primary method of treatment was used in 72 patients (20.2%), chemotherapy (CT) in 76 (21.4%), and combined (RT + CT) therapy (CMT) in 208 cases (58.4%). The patients were followed from 6.3 to 26 years (median follow-up was 13.7 years). For the whole group 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year actuarial survival (S) rates were 90, 80, 74, 73, and 73%, respectively. The corresponding event-free survival (EFS) rates were 63, 56, 56, 55, and 55%. The amelioration of the results was noted beginning with the 1973–1977 period, and for those treated in the last period (1983–1987) 5-year S and EFS rates were 93 and 68%, respectively. We conclude, that the modern treatment is also effective for our children suffering from HD. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.