Outcome of 102 patients under 5 years of age with Hodgkin lymphoma

Background. Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is one of the most curable pediatric cancers, however it is rare among children under five years of age and prognostic factors for survival rate are still unknown due to low frequency in this age group. Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment regimens, and outcome of patients under five years of age with HL. Methods. Patients diagnosed with HL between 1972 and 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. All patients were treated with chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. Results. There were 102 patients with a median age of 4 years (range: 2 to 4.9). The median followup time was 13 years. Twenty-three patients had B symptoms, 15 patients had 'bulky disease' and the most common stages were stage I and II. Overall survival (OS) rates were significantly different according to the stage of the cancer (p = 0.008). Although there were no statistically significant differences; the positivity of 'bulky disease' and B symptoms were associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion. Our single-center study included the largest number of patients under five years of age with HL. The stage was the main predictor for OS; on the other hand, the presence of B symptoms and bulky disease has also affected the prognosis.