[Treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma]

From November 1976 until September 1987, 59 patients with Hodgkin's disease have been admitted and treated with radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy plus elective chemotherapy after been staged according to Stanford's guidelines and following the Ann Arbor's classification. 33 patients were staged I or II, and 26 as stage III or IV. Patients in earlier stages received preferentially radiotherapy alone and those in more advanced stages received radio and chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 39 months, 100% of patients in stage I, 81.5% of patients in stages II and III A and 45% of patients in stages III B and IV were alive and well. The relapse free survival for patients in stages II and III A was 48.4%, rising to 81.5% after rescue. The use of elective chemotherapy made no difference in survival for stages II B and III A.