Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Children and Adolescents: A Saint Petersburg Hodgkin's Lymphoma Group Study

Purpose . Prospective analysis of the efficacy of the original protocol SPbHL-05 was performed. Patients and Methods . Sixty patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) aged less than 18 years old were treated in accordance with SPbHL-05 from January 2000, to July 2009. In induction chemotherapy we used VBVP and ABVD schedules followed by involved-field radiotherapy. Fourteen patients (23,3%) with 0–2 adverse factors (the favourable group) received two cycles of chemotherapy (VBVP), 25 children (41,7%) with 3-4 unfavorable signs (the intermediate group) received two cycles of VBVP alternating with two cycles of ABVD, 21 patient (35%) who had 5 or more adverse prognostic factors (the unfavourable group) received three cycles of VBVP alternating with three cycles of ABVD. Results . With a median follow-up of 68 months, overall survival (OS) at 5 years is 91.3%, event-free survival (EFS) is 82.8%. OS in the favourable and intermediate risk group were 100%, EFS were 92,9% and 90,7%, respectively, OS and EFS in unfavourable risk group—77,1% and 55,6%, respectively. Conclusion . The identification of prognostic risk factors and using medicines with less prominent side effects would be of major importance in the development of new strategies of treatment for childhood HL.