Annals of Oncology

H. Anderson, D. Crowther, D.P. Deakin, W.D.J. Ryder, J.A. Radford, Anderson, Heather, Crowther, D., Deakin, D. P., Ryder, W. D. J., Radford, J. A.

One hundred fifteen untreated patients with supra-diaphragmatic, pathologically staged (PS) IA-IIB Hodgkin's disease (HD) were entered into a randomised study comparing treatment using mantle radiotherapy followed by adjuvant treatment with mustine, vinblastine, prednisolone, and procarbazine (MVPP) with mantle radiotherapy alone. Fifty-six patients were randomised to receive radiotherapy alone (RT) and 59 to radiotherapy followed by six cycles of adjuvant MVPP (RT + MVPP). One hundred fourteen patients achieved a complete remission (CR) with radiotherapy. One patient achieved a partial remission. The overall 10-year survival after correction for intercurrent death was 92% with no difference between the two treatment groups (90% for RT alone and 95% for RT + MVPP P = 0.66). There were 9 (8%) deaths from HD (5 patients had received RT alone), and 10 (9%) intercurrent deaths. Eight (7%) patients have developed a second malignancy, and two of them are alive. No patient has developed secondary acute myelogenous leukaemia. The 10-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was 79% overall, 67% in the RT group, and 91% in the RT + MVPP group (P = 0.0004). There were 25 relapses; 20 patients had received RT alone and 5 had received adjuvant MVPP. Of the relapsed patients, 13 (52%) have received successful salvage therapy and are in CR. In the RT alone group, 45 (80%) patients are alive in CR, 5 (9%) died of HD, and 6 (11%) died of intercurrent causes. In the adjuvant MVPP group, 51 (86%) are alive in CR, 4 (7%) died of HD, and 4 (7%) died of intercurrent causes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)