Progress in the chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease

The current status of chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease is reviewed and approaches to improving such chemotherapy are considered. Such studies have indicated that the dose response curve for chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease is steep with respect to both antitumor effect and toxicity; thus the maximum safe dose is optimal with respect to frequency and magnitude of remission induction. Prior treatment and duration of disease have an adverse effect on response to chemotherapy. Continued treatment during remission (maintenance treatment) will prolong the duration of remission. Combination chemotherapy at “full” doses with agents with qualitatively different toxicity can be employed safely. In preliminary studies combination chemotherapy produces an additive increase in the objective response rate, particularly the complete remission rate. The implications of the above results for future therapeutic approaches to Hodgkin's disease are considered.