Successful ambulatory treatment of Hodgkin's disease in Iranian children based on German-Austrian DAL-HD 85-90: single institutional results.

BACKGROUND Hodgkin's disease (HD) accounts for 7.5% of childhood malignancies in Iran. In order to minimize chemotherapy toxicity and avoid eventual hospitalization and psychological and financial burdens we have applied since 1988, for the first time in Iran, a treatment regimen based on subsequently revised DAL-HD 85-90 and later GPOH-HD 95 protocols. PATIENTS AND METHODS During the period 1988-2004, 40 children with HD received DAL/GPOH-HD-adapted treatment; 25 males (62.5%) and 15 females (37.5%) (male/female ratio 1.7; age 4-14 years, mean 8.8). Clinical evaluation and staging was performed in all patients. Constitutional symptoms: 24 patients were asymptomatic (A; 60%) and 16 had constitutional complaints (B; 40%). Staging was as follows: stage I; seven (17.5%); II, 11 (27.5%); III, 11 (27.5%); and IV, 11 (27.5%). Histopathology: 22 patients had mixed cellularity (MC; 55%), 13 nodular sclerosis (32.5%), four lymphocyte predominance (LP; 10%) and one patient lymphocyte depletion (2.5%). Stage IA and IIA patients (n = 15) received either OPA x2 (vincristine, prednisolone, doxorubicin) or OPPA x2 or OPEA x2 (vincristine, prednisolone, procarbazine and doxorubicin), the latter receiving etoposide instead of procarbazine, and applied to males. Stages IIB, IIIA/B and IV received OPPA x2, followed by CO(P)P x4 (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone in alternate courses and procarbazine). Twenty nine patients (72.5%) received radiotherapy (20-25 Gy); four to the involved field (stage I), 25 to the upper mantel (stage II and also III with either residual or mediastinal mass) and three additionally to spleen and para-aortic lymph nodes. Eleven patients received only chemotherapy. RESULTS All patients achieved complete remission (CR). Relapse occurred in eight patients (20%); seven stage IV (MC) and one stage IA (LP) with progression to IIIB. Salvage chemotherapy consisted of MOPP/ABVD hybrid; six patients achieved a second sustained remission and three patients died: two due to relapse and progressive disease and the third one in CR, owing to thrombocytopenic hemorrhage and foudroyant pneumonia. The achieved overall and event-free survival was 88.1% and 75.4%, respectively. Aside from minor acute toxicities, three patients demonstrated azoospermia at the age of 18 years and one of these patients suffered non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a second malignancy. HD occurred as a second malignancy in two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Both received appropriate treatment and are over 10 years in CR. CONCLUSIONS The DAL/GPOH-HD-based treatment approach proved to achieve long-term sustained cure even in children with advanced HD disease. The essentially outpatient diagnosis and treatment modus did not compromise the disease outcome, and was well tolerated and accepted by the patients and their parents. The employed drugs are easily available and affordable. This treatment approach is suitable for ambulatory use in developing countries. However, male infertility remains the major obstacle to procarbazine and cyclophosphamide use.