Progress of treatment in Hodgkin's lymphoma in children and adolescents

Abstract

Currently over 90% children and adolescents with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) can be cured. In the recent 25 years successive improvement of results of treatment was achieved through proper choice of treatment intensity according to precisely defined risk groups. The current strategy of diagnosis and treatment of HL is aimed at balancing between the highest possible cure rates and risk of late complications. On the basis of 40-year experience of Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group and recent data from literature we review current and planned strategies of therapeutic management aimed for improving results of treatment in patients with poor prognosis and reducing rates of late complications in all patients with HL. Currently further reduction of radiotherapy use is considered through limiting its use in the patients with satisfactory results after initial chemotherapy evaluated with the use of positron emission tomography results. Further improvement of therapeutic strategy for HL calls associating individual oncological centers in large groups, which would cooperate in completing research projects.