Results of three courses of adriamycin, bleomycin, vindesine, and dacarbazine with subtotal nodal irradiation in 189 patients with nodal Hodgkin's disease (stage I, II and IIIA).

Aim of the Study: To evaluate in a prospective trial three courses of an ABVD-like chemotherapy (CT) regimen given before radiation therapy (RT) (subtotal nodal irradiation (STNI) in favorable stage Hodgkin's disease (HD). The efficacy, risk factors and medium-term toxicities are reported.
Patient Characteristics: Stage I or II with at least one of the following factors, mediastinal involvement, histological type 3, age > 40 years, ESR rate > 50 mm, or stage IIIA. 189 patients with newly diagnosed HD were treated between 01/89 and 01/94 (stage I, n = 33; stage II, n = 129, stage IIIA, n = 27). Three courses of an ABVD-like regimen (adriamycin 25 mg/m2, bleomycin 10 mg, vindesine 2 mg/m2 and dacarbazine 250 mg/m2 day 1 and 8) were given before STNI at 36/40 grays. At diagnosis, prognostic factors were distributed as follows: B symptoms (n = 54), bulky mediastinum (n = 41), hemoglobin < 12 g/dl (n = 37), ESR > 50 (n = 65), age > 45 (n = 24).
Results: After chemotherapy, 90% had an objective response (partial response > 75%) and 98% were in complete remission (CR) at the end of RT. Three patients had primary refractory disease and 13 patients (7%) relapsed, 3 at the initial site, 4 at previously uninvolved sites and 6 at both. With a median follow-up of 60 months, 170 patients are in 1st CR, 5 in 2nd or greater CR and 11/14 patients have died from HD. Bulky mediastinum (p = 0.009), age > 45 years (p = 0.03) and EST > 50 mm (p = 0.05) were adverse prognostic factors for survival. Bulky mediastinum (p = 0.009) was the only prognostic factor for freedom from progression. TOXICITIES: Two patients died from treatment related toxicity and one patient died with an osteogenic sarcoma. No secondary leukemia has so far been detected. 24 pregnancies were reported. Cardiopulmonary toxicity was always < grade 1 (WHO) in 95 patients evaluated. Two patients over 45 years old had a myocardial infarction.
Conclusion: With an acceptable medium-term toxicity, this treatment achieved 85% survival at 5 years.