Mantle treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Results and side effects

Decreasing late mortality among five-year survivors of cancer in childhood and adolescence: a population-based study in the Nordic countries

PURPOSE

To assess the risk of death in patients who survive more than 5 years after diagnosis of childhood cancer and to evaluate causes of death in fatal cases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a population-based study in the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) using data of the nationwide cancer registries and the cause-of-death registries. The study cohort included 13,711 patients who were diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20 years between 1960 and 1989 and who survived at least 5 years from diagnosis. By December 31, 1995, 1,422 patients had died, and death certificates were assessed in 1,402. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for validated causes of death were calculated based on 156,046 patient-years at risk.

RESULTS

The overall SMR was 10.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.3 to 11.5), mainly due to high excess mortality from the primary cancer. SMR for second cancer was 4.9 (95% CI, 3.9 to 5.9) and was 3.1 (95% CI, 2.8 to 3.5) for noncancer death. The pattern of causes of death varied markedly between different groups of primary cancer diagnoses and was highly dependent on time passed since diagnosis. Overall late mortality was significantly lower in patients treated during the most recent period of time, 1980 to 1989, compared with those treated from 1960 to 1979 (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.70), and there was no increase in rates of death due to cancer treatment.

CONCLUSION

Long-term survivors of childhood cancer had an increased mortality rate, mainly dying from primary cancers. However, modern treatments have reduced late cancer mortality without increasing the rate of therapy-related deaths.

Long-term effects on pulmonary function of mantle radiotherapy in patients with Hodgkin's disease

Twenty-five patients (21-45 years old) treated for Hodgkin's disease with mantle radiotherapy but no chemotherapy underwent chest radiography and pulmonary testing with spirometry, pulmonary mechanics and exercise test combined with arterial blood gas analysis, lung scintigraphy, assessment of pulmonary artery pressure with Doppler cardiography and vector ECG 10-20 years after treatment. The doses to mediastinum ranged from 35-43 (mean 40) Gy given in 26 fractions with the split-course technique. Radiographic signs of slight to moderate pulmonary fibrosis were seen in 18 patients. Minor restrictive ventilatory defects were found with decreased VC, TLC and lung compliance and increased maximal elastic recoil. Little evidence of airflow obstruction was found. Exercise capacity was decreased in three individuals but the mean value for the study group as a whole was normal. Arterial PO2 at maximum exercise was reduced but no patient had diminished hemoglobin saturation. Lung scintigraphy showed defects in 21 patients, mostly consisting of slight abnormalities at the lung periphery and apices. The perfusion seemed to be more affected than the ventilation, suggesting primary vascular lesions. Twelve patients showed signs of right ventricular hypertrophy in vector ECG and four of these had systolic pulmonary artery pressure greater than or equal to 30 mm Hg. The observed abnormalities were mostly of a minor degree and few clinically significant long-term effects of mantle radiotherapy on pulmonary function were observed.

Radiographic evaluation of pulmonary fibrosis following mantle field irradiation in Hodgkin's disease

Sixty-nine patients given mantle field radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease and considered relapse-free and possibly cured were re-examined for pulmonary fibrosis as observed on antero-posterior and lateral chest radiographs. A method is described for the systematic evaluation of these late stage changes, which are observed following irradiation, in a numerical form. The method gave reproducible results in this series, the correlation coefficient being 0.72/0.81 and 0.73 respectively for the intra-observer and the inter-observer variations. The method thus may facilitate comparison between different patient materials.

Acute myeloid leukemia following treatment of Hodgkin's disease: a review

Risk factors were analyzed and searched for possible predictive parameters for the development of acute myeloid leukemia in 216 reported patients previously treated for Hodgkin's disease. The distribution of histologic subtypes and the stage at diagnosis were similar to that of all patients with Hodgkin's disease. Seventy-five percent of the 216 patients in whom acute myeloid leukemia developed had received both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, 15% chemotherapy only, and 10% radiotherapy only. Of those receiving radiotherapy, 66% were given multiple courses or total nodal irradiation. Of the patients receiving chemotherapy, 77% had received more than eight months of single or combination drug therapy; only 4% had not been exposed to alkylating agents. When acute leukemia developed, 78% of the patients showed no clinical or pathologic evidence of residual Hodgkin's disease. A period of pancytopenia preceded the onset of overt leukemia in at least one-third of the patients. Complete or partial remission of the acute leukemia was achieved in 25% of the patients treated with antileukemic chemotherapy. On the basis of these findings, it is deemed advisable to reexamine the intensity of treatment presently being administered to achieve cure of Hodgkin's disease. Unnecessary or unproved programs of combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy should be avoided. An optimal balance between the risks and benefits of treatment needs to be applied.

Hodgkin's disease irradiated with the inverted-Y technique

Thirty-four patients with Hodgkin's disease were treated with the inverted-Y technique. Target absorbed dose was 40 Gy given in a split-course schedule to all but one patient. Only one recurrence occurred. Seventeen patients remained symptom-free after treatment and another 9 were rescued by further therapy. Eight patients died. All 7 patients in stages I and II are alive. In stage III A more patients with upper abdominal disease remained symptom-free after treatment than patients with lower abdominal disease. Of 7 patients in stage III B, 5 died. Actuarial survival at 10 years was significantly better for patients without systemic symptoms. Radiation side effects were mild. One serious complication occurred, acute gastrointestinal ulceration in the patient given the total dose in one series. No permanent symptom-producing side effects from liver, kidneys, spinal cord or bone marrow occurred.

En-bloc irradiation of unresectable bronchogenic carcinomas and their regional lymphatics

Patients with unresectable or inoperable bronchial carcinoma were treated with en-bloc irradiation of the tumour and the mediastinal lymph nodes to a total target absorbed dose of 40 Gy in 20 fractions. The first 52 patients were treated in one series and the last 45 patients in two series (split-course). Radiation adverse effects were only mild. The two regimens gave the same palliative results. The median survival was the same for the 2 groups (8 months). Most patients died in disseminated disease.