[Causes of death in patients with Hodgkin's disease]

The authors analyze the causes of death of 52 patients from a group comprising 236 patients with Hodgkin's disease. From 51 patients 16 died within one year, with a single exception. All were in clinical stage III-IV (at the time of diagnosis). Within 5 years 40 patients died incl. 4 who the time of diagnosis belonged to clinical stage II. After more than 5 years following establishment of the diagnosis 12 patients died. Of these at the time of the diagnosis 8 were in clinical stage II, 3 in clinical stage III and one patient in clinical stage IV. In the first clinical stage and according to histological classification 10 patients survive, in clinical stage II 93 patients, in clinical stage III 105 patients and 28 patients in clinical stage IV. The mortality rate increases with the advancing clinical stage. Causes of death: progression of the basic disease in 63%, intercurrent infectious diseases in 25%, inhibition of bone marrow in 6%, same percentage for development of secondary neoplasms. The lowest mortality rate was recorded in patients treated by a combination of actino- and chemotherapy (11%), as compared with 23% treated by actinotherapy only and 41% treated by chemotherapy only.