[Intensive radiotherapy and polychemotherapy, clinical stage and systemic manifestations of the disease as parameters important in the prognosis for Hodgkin's disease].

Abstract

In the period from 1961 to 1982, 82 patients (36 females and 46 males) with Hodgkin's disease were treated. The median age was 40 years. According to the way of treatment, the patients were divided into two groups, the first group with 30 patients treated by local x-rays and/or monochemotherapy (treated up to 1971) and the second group with 52 patients treated by aggressive tele-cobalt therapy and/or MOPP polychemotherapy (after 1972). In the first group of patients, complete remission was achieved in 9 cases, partial remission in 15, while there was no remission in 6 cases. In the second group, complete remission was achieved in 40 cases, partial remission in 9, while no remission could be achieved in 3 cases. The difference in the number of remissions achieved between the patients treated up to 1971 and patients treated later is statistically significant (chi 2 = 15.52 p less than 0.0001). The median age was significantly higher in the group of patients treated by aggressive therapy (65:12 months). Seven patients from the first group survived for more than 5 years, 5 being still alive. In the second groups 29 patients survived for more than 5 years, 24 of them being still alive. The difference in survival between these two groups is significant (chi 2 = 11.37; p less than 0.001). There is a significant difference in surviving between patients in different stages of the disease (chi 2 = 27.47; p less than 0.00001). Between the patients without general symptoms (A) and the patients with systemic manifestations (B) the difference in numbers of remissions is statistically significant (chi 2 = 8.44; p less than 0.005). The difference in survival between these two groups of patients is also significant (chi 2 = 16.52; p less than 0.0001).