Hodgkin's disease. A historical perspective

Two hundred and sixty-four patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) forming the basis of our 15 year experience are retrospectively analyzed. Three therapeutic periods are recognizable. 1. The 1974-76 period was characterized by the increasing knowledge of staging procedures and therapeutic approaches. The 81 patients treated in this period experience 67 and 60% survival at 5 and 10 years, respectively. 2. The 1977-80 period was characterized by a large combination of MOPP and radiotherapy. The 87 patients who entered this period experienced 75 and 72% survival at 5 and 10 years, respectively. 3. The last therapeutic period 1981-84 is characterized by the increasing relevance of prognostic factors and alternating the use of MOPP and ABVD as non-cross resistant regimen. The 96 patients who entered this period showed 96% survival at 4 years. Both survival and disease-free survival were positively influenced by the change of therapeutic strategies during the three periods (p less than .005). Although better results have been recorded moving from one to the next therapeutic period, the present policy has been also based on the recognition of a high number of late complications due to therapy. Preliminary results about the present therapeutic experience seem to indicate both a good remission rate and low incidence of complications.