Commentary on Abstracts #2001 and #2000

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OncologyONCOLOGY Vol 13 No 3
Volume 13
Issue 3

The role of combined-modality therapy for Hodgkin’s disease was the subject of several abstracts presented at the ASH meeting. Radiation therapy has traditionally been the standard approach for patients with early-stage disease. However, several recent studies have suggested an important role for chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with radiation.

The role of combined-modality therapy for Hodgkin’s disease was the subject of several abstracts presented at the ASH meeting. Radiation therapy has traditionally been the standard approach for patients with early-stage disease. However, several recent studies have suggested an important role for chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with radiation.

The German Hodgkin’s Study Group (Tesch et al, abstract #2001) treated low-risk patients with stage I or II disease with either extended-field radiation therapy alone or extended-field radiation therapy preceded by two cycles of ABVD. Freedom from treatment failure significantly favored the combined-modality approach.

This study complements an ongoing US trial led by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), in which patients with low-risk early-stage disease are receiving total-lymphoid irradiation alone or combined with doxorubicin and vinblastine.

Benefit from consolidative radiation therapy in patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin’s disease has been more difficult to demonstrate. Fermé et al (abstract #2000) randomized 559 patients to either ABVPP or MOPP/ABV, with complete responders undergoing a secondary randomization to either two courses of additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. These researchers were unable to detect an improvement in outcome. The median follow-up was only 46 months, and more long-term complications will likely be encountered.

Articles in this issue

WHO Declares Lymphatic Mapping to Be the Standard of Care for Melanoma
Rituximab: Phase II Retreatment Study in Patients With Low-Grade or Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Response Criteria for NHL: Importance of “Normal” Lymph Node Size and Correlations With Response
Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Improves Survival in Patients With Cervical Cancer
A Randomized Trial of Fludarabine, Mitoxantrone (FM) Versus Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vindesine, Prednisone (CHEP) as First Line Treatment in Patients With Advanced Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Multicenter Study by GOELAMS Group
Navelbine Increased Elderly Lung Cancer Patients’ Survival
Fludarabine Versus Conventional CVP Chemotherapy in Newly C Diagnosed Patients With Stages III and IV Low-Grade Malignant Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Preliminary Results From a Prospective, Randomized Phase III Clinical Trial in 381 Patients
Multicenter, Phase III Study of Iodine-131 Tositumomab (Anti-B1 Antibody) for Chemotherapy-Refractory Low-Grade or Transformed Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
T-Cell–Depleted Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant From HLA-Matched Sibling Donors for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Consensus Statement on Prevention and Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
In Vivo Purging and Adjuvant Immunotherapy With Rituximab During PBSC Transplant For NHL
Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide: A Highly Active and Well-Tolerated Regimen for Patients With Previously Untreated Indolent Lymphomas
Campath-1H Monoclonal Antibody in Therapy for Advanced Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas: A Phase II Study
AIDS Drugs Effective Against Most Common HIV Strain
Rituximab Therapy in Previously Treated Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia: Preliminary Evidence of Activity
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