Hodgkin' s disease in children diagnosed over a 5-year period

Abstract

The aim of this study is to give epidemiologic features and treatment results of 46 previously untreated children with Hodgkin's disease (HD). Between January 91 and December 1995, all children with newly diagnosed, untreated, biopsy-proven HD were included in this study. Combined modality treatment (chemotherapy plus radiotherapy) was used. Out of 46 patients 38 (83%) were male, eight (17%) were female. Median age was 7 (range 1.8 - 14 years); 69% of the patients were under 10 years of age. There were eight patients in stage I, 17 in stage II, 17 in stage III and four in stage IV. Fifteen patients presented with B symptoms (32.6%). Mixed cellularity (MC) was the most frequent histopathologic type (39.1%), which was followed by nodular sclerosing type (NS, 32.6%). Patients who presented with stage I-II HD had overall survival (OS) and five year event free survival (EFS) rates of 100% and 96%, respectively. In patients with stage III-IV HD, OS and EFS were estimated to be 77% and 71.7%, respectively. The treatment results are comparable with the literature.