Late Relapse of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Analysis of the German Hodgkin Study Group HD7 to HD12 Trials
Abstract
Purpose: Clinical characteristics, therapeutic approaches, and prognosis of late relapse (LR) in patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) are poorly understood. We performed a comprehensive analysis of LR of Hodgkin lymphoma (LR-HL).
Methods. To estimate the incidence of LR-HL, we retrospectively analyzed 6,840 patients with cHL included in the German Hodgkin Study Group trials HD7 to HD12.
Patients who experienced a relapse >5 years into remission were compared with patients in continued remission for >5 years and with those who experienced a relapse <= 5 years after first diagnosis. Conclusion.
Apart from treatment-associated adverse effects, survivors after initially successful therapy for cHL are at an 85-fold risk for recurrence of disease compared with the general German population. After risk-adapted treatment strategies, especially in early-stage favorable HL, regular clinical follow-up is recommended for timely detection of LR-HL.
With adequate treatment, prognosis of LR-HL is better compared with early relapses. (C) 2017 by American Society of Clinical Oncology