Hodgkin's disease complicated by radiation sarcoma in bone.

Seven patients after treatment of Hodgkin's Disease who developed bone sarcomas in the radiation field were seen at this centre over the past eight years. Radiation-induced sarcoma in bone in patients with Hodgkin's Disease is poorly documented. The large number of cases appeared to be an important new development and led to our review of all the patients with radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) seen at this centre over the past 40 years. Thirty-seven patients with RIS in previously normal bone were found, and of these, only one patient with underlying Hodgkin's Disease, who was seen here 27 years earlier. Hodgkin's Disease and breast cancer were the most common primary underlying conditions and, as a result, the bones of the shoulder girdle were the commonest site of radiation-induced sarcoma. The clinical histories and radiographic findings of the eight patients with underlying Hodgkin's Disease are discussed in detail.