Chemotherapy alone or combined chemotherapy and involved field radiotherapy in favorable risk early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma-a 10 years experience

OBJECTIVE To determine the outcome of patients with early-stage (stage I-II) favorable risk classical Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chemotherapy alone or combined modality treatment (CMT) utilizing chemotherapy and involved field radiotherapy. METHODS This retrospective study was done at Department of Medical oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan from January 2004 to December 2013. RESULTS There were 101 patients, with male predominance (71.3%). Mean age was 34 years. Sixty three (62.4%) patients received CMT and 38 (37.6%) patients had chemotherapy alone. Ninety eight percent patients had ABVD chemotherapy. Dose of radiotherapy ranged from 20 to 36 gray. Difference between baseline characteristics and major toxicities among the two groups was insignificant. Patients treated with CMT had better overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone: 100% versus 91% at five years and 96% versus 81% at 10 years, respectively (p=0.03). Progression free survival was also better with CMT against chemotherapy alone at five years (98% versus 81%) and 10 years (82% versus 71%) (p=0.01). CONCLUSION Favorable risk classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients had better overall survival and progression free survival when treated with CMT against chemotherapy alone.