[Relapse in Hodgkin's disease. Incidence of relapse in a group of 374 patients from 1 June 1968 to 31 March 1995].

From a group of 366 patients with complete data complete remission was achieved by 290. Fifty-five patients relapsed, 39 men and 16 women, mostly with an initial finding of advanced disease (KS III + IV 64%), with affection of the mediastinum (73%) aged under 40 years. 42% of the relapses were detected within one year after termination of primary treatment and 33% during the subsequent 2 years, the longest interval before a relapse being 20 years. During primary treatment in 63% of the patients chemotherapy was reduced to 75-25% of the total dose of cytostatics with protraction of the interval between cycles in 58% and radiotherapy in another 34% of the patients. 76% of the patients with a first relapse achieved a second complete remission and 29 of them survive without signs of the disease, 12 died from generalized lymphoma. Sixteen patients developed repeated relapses (nine two relapses, four three relapses, another two four relapses and one patient five relapses). After treatment of the relapse a total of 22 patients died, incl. 19 who died from Hodgkin's disease, two from secondary carcinoma and one from myocardial infarction. The longest survival period after treatment of a relapse was 26 years.