Hepatic radiation tolerance in Hodgkin's disease patients

Prophylactic hepatic irradiation was give to 28 "bad risk" Stage III Hodgkin's disease patients. The whole liver was given 2,000 rad in 10 days in addition to 1,800-2,000 rad to that portion included in the total nodal irradiation field. Twenty-three patients have been followed a minimum of 10 months with serial liver function tests. A transient elevation of serum enzymes has been noted at 3-12 months following hepatic irradiation in 78% (18 of 23 patients). No cases of clinical radiation hepatitis have been found in patients at risk 10 to 39 months (median, 23 months). Hepatic irradiation at this dose level appears to be tolerated without prohibitive complications.