Hodgkin Lymphoma Outcome: A Retrospective Study from 3 Tertiary Centers in Saudi Arabia

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) exhibits considerable clinicopathological variations in different parts of the world. This study was prompted by the limited availability of HL data in developing countries (particularly long-term outcomes).

We performed a retrospective review of eligible adult HL patients treated at 3 tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia between January 1997 and December 2012.

The review included 340 patients with a median age of 26 years (range 15-82 years); 53% were male, 74% had an advanced stage, 22% had bulky disease, and 70% had low-to-intermediate risk according to the International Prognostic Score. Nodular sclerosis was the most common histological subtype (59%). Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) was offered to 92% and radiotherapy to 43%. Initial therapy outcomes were complete response, partial response, and progressive disease in 91%, 5%, and 2% of patients, respectively. At a median follow-up of 39 months, the actuarial freedom from treatment failure at 5 years was 74%, with a 5-year overall survival of 91%. Multivariate analysis showed that advanced disease stage and high-risk international prognostic index independently predicted an adverse outcome.

Our Saudi patient population exhibited outcomes that were comparable to those reported in developed countries.