[Chemotherapy of stage III-IV Hodgkin's disease. A retrospective analysis of the 53 cases collected from 9 institutions in Japan].

The clinical data of 53 patients with Stage III-IV Hodgkin's disease collected from 9 institutions in Japan were analyzed for the efficacy of chemotherapy. CR rate (78%) and five-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate (61%) were higher in the patients treated with VEPA/CHOP regimen than those in patients with VEMP/BONP or MOPP/C-MOPP regimen, although the difference was not statistically significant because of the small number of the patients. As to 14 patients treated with CHOP regimen, CR rate was 87% and RFS curve trend toward plateau at 67% after 2 years and 3 months from the initiation of chemotherapy. Salvage therapy with adriamycin-based combination chemotherapy achieved CRs in 9 of 14 (64%) patients who had been treated with VEMP, BONP, modified MOPP or C-MOPP regimen. The CHOP regimen was effective in the treatment of III-IV Hodgkin's disease but an alternative multidrug chemotherapy with ADM, CPM, VCR, BLM, etoposide and procarbazine is recommended for achieving a higher CR rate and a better RFS. Prospective study is needed to establish the standard chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease in Japan.