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Two types of effective treatments for Hodgkin's disease is radiation therapy and chemotherapy. With one or both of such treatment, most patients can be cured.
Radiation therapy alone to cure about 90% of patients with stage I or II. Treatment is usually carried out for 4-5 weeks, the patient does not need to be treated. Irradiation directed to the affected area and surrounding lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are greatly enlarged in the chest were treated with radiation therapy that usually precede or follow chemotherapy. With this approach, 85% of patients can be cured.
Treatment for stage III varies, depending on the circumstances. If asymptomatic, sometimes radiation therapy alone is sufficient. But only 65-75% of patients who recover. The addition of chemotherapy will increase the possibility to recover up to 75-80%. If enlarged lymph nodes accompanied by other symptoms, then the use of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Cure rate ranged between 70-80%.
In stage IV used a combination of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Radiation therapy alone to cure about 90% of patients with stage I or II. Treatment is usually carried out for 4-5 weeks, the patient does not need to be treated. Irradiation directed to the affected area and surrounding lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are greatly enlarged in the chest were treated with radiation therapy that usually precede or follow chemotherapy. With this approach, 85% of patients can be cured.
Treatment for stage III varies, depending on the circumstances. If asymptomatic, sometimes radiation therapy alone is sufficient. But only 65-75% of patients who recover. The addition of chemotherapy will increase the possibility to recover up to 75-80%. If enlarged lymph nodes accompanied by other symptoms, then the use of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Cure rate ranged between 70-80%.
In stage IV used a combination of chemotherapeutic drugs.
2 traditional combinations are:
- MOPP (mekloretamin, vincristine / onkovin, procarbazine and prednisone)
- ABVD (doxorubicin / adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dakarbazin).
Each chemotherapy cycle lasted for 1 month, with total treatment time is 6 months or more.
Can also use combinations of other drugs.
This treatment provides cure rates of more than 50%.
Chemotherapy has serious side effects, which can lead to:
- Temporary or permanent sterility
- Increasing the possibility of infection
- Hair loss is temporary.
Leukemia and other cancers occur in some patients within 5-10 years or more after administration of chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both.
Patients who showed no improvement after radiation therapy or chemotherapy or who improved but then recurred within 6-9 months, has a smaller life expectancy compared with patients who experienced recurrence within 1 year or more after initial therapy. Further chemotherapy combined with high-dose radiation therapy and transplantation of bone marrow or blood stem cells, can help these patients.
High-dose chemotherapy combined with bone marrow transplantation are at high risk of infection, which can be fatal. But about 20-40% of patients who undergo bone marrow transplants free from Hodgkin's disease for 3 years or more and get better. The best results can be achieved in patients younger than 55 years with good health.
Posted in: Hodgkin's
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