Relapsed, Refractory, or Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Single-Center Experience

To assess the treatment and outcomes of patients with relapsed, refractory, or advanced Hodgkin lymphoma treated with consolidation or salvage radiotherapy.

We studied all patients diagnosed with this profile treated by radiotherapy in our center between 2006 and 2019.

A total of 33 patients who received external-beam radiotherapy for advanced (21%), relapsed (52%), or refractory (24%) Hodgkin lymphoma were studied. Median [interquartile range] age was 25 [22-38] years, with 11 women (33%). The follow-up after first-line treatment was 28 [10-53] months. Number of chemotherapy lines received before radiotherapy was 3 [1-4]. Fourteen patients (42%) had undergone autologous stem-cell transplantation before radiotherapy, and 2 patients were treated by radiotherapy alone. Nine patients (27%) were treated by involved-field radiotherapy, 17 (52%) by involved-site radiotherapy, 5 (17%) by involved-node radiotherapy, and 2 by other volumes. The acute toxicity profile was favorable, with grade 1 radiodermatitis (33%) or dysphagia (30%). Overall, 21 patients (64%) experienced prolonged complete response and 12 experienced relapse (36%) after radiotherapy. Median disease-free survival was 68.8 months.

External-beam radiotherapy should be considered an effective treatment modality for advanced, relapsed, or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma as part of a multimodal approach.