Questioning Success in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is considered a highly curable malignant paediatric disease with an overall 5-year survival over 95%. Surviving adolescent and children patients face a future of many decades of life with an increasing risk of late sequela that will appear in the long run. A 5-year follow-up will not show adequately late therapy related morbidity and mortality. The risk of morbidity and premature mortality by secondary malignant diseases, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and other chronic conditions stay significantly high in paediatric survivors followed more than 10 years. Current paediatric HL treatment trials have highlighted the importance of diminishing acute and long term toxicity, but radiotherapy, though with lower doses and field restrictions, has been included in the schedules even for early stage cases until recently.