Prognostic factors in COPP-treated patients with Hodgkin's disease.

In a recently published review of the literature [40] we came to the conclusion that the Ann-Arbor staging classification is of limited prognostic value for chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease (Table 2). Four risk factors accounted for impaired complete remission rates: stage IVB, lymphocyte depletion or not classifiable histologic type, previous chemotherapy, and older age. Fifty-eight evaluable patients were treated with COPP; 23 reached a complete remission (40%). Disease-free survival was 31%, overall survival 49% after five years [33]. Besides the known risk factors, impaired bone marrow function (leucocyte counts less than 4 X 10(9)/l, platelet counts less than 100 X 10(9)/l) at the start of therapy was associated with poor treatment results: none of six patients achieved a complete remission [41]. Eleven of 16 patients with no and 11 of 23 patients with one risk factor achieved a complete remission, as did only one patient with more than one risk factor. Survival rates after 30 months were: 87% with no, 66% with one, 36% with two, and 13% with more than two risk factors. We can conclude from our results that the prognosis of patients undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease depends on the number of risk factors.