Late cardiopulmonary toxicity after treatment for Hodgkin's disease

Cardiac and pulmonary functions were evaluated in 75 patients aged 50 years or under, treated for Hodgkin's disease by mantle radiotherapy at least 3 years earlier; all received the same mantle field radiotherapy: radiotherapy alone, MOPP chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, MOPP and ABVD chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. No patient had any symptom of heart disease. Only borderline abnormalities of ECG or echocardiogram were observed in 12 patients. One of them showed a moderate aortic stenosis which was known before the treatment; apical or septum hypokinesia were present in four patients and one patient had a slightly right ventricular dilatation. Twelve (16%) chest radiographs showed moderate or severe abnormalities, but there was no significant correlation between the results of pulmonary function tests and Xenon ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy, the clinical examination and the intensity of the radiological sequelae. Twenty-nine (64%) Xenon scintigraphies showed a reduction of lung perfusion in the irradiated areas without any symptom. The resting mean pulmonary function test was significantly lower for the patients than for the control group with regard to Total Capacity and Vital Capacity. The exercise tolerance, as indicated by analysis of blood gases, was below the one expected for only two patients who were dyspneic during the low level of exercise. We did not find any significant difference between the three treatment groups. We conclude that the treatment with mantle field under good technical conditions (high energy photons, moderate doses...) can result in minimal cardiopulmonary dysfunction.