[Hodgkin's disease in children. Modified COPP combined treatment and radiotherapy in advanced stages]

Twenty two children, under 15 years of age, from southern Chile's Tenth Region, with advanced stages of Hodgkin's disease (8 III-A, 6 III-B and 8 IV-B) were treated with chemotherapy (modified COPP protocol) and radiotherapy between 1976 and 1985 at Valdivia's Regional Hospital. Overall survival rate was 77.3% and disease-free survival rate was 64.5% after a follow-up period from 3 to 13 years (median 70 months). Five patients died during the first two years. One relapsed 10 years after beginning of therapy, but achieved a second complete remission. The survival rate in patients with lymphocytic depletion type (5 cases) was 20.0%, whereas that of the mixed cellularity type (14 cases) was 92.9% (p less than 0.01). No cases of second neoplasms related to chemotherapy and radiotherapy were seen in this series.