In developed nations, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is rare in <5-year olds and represent a minority in developing countries. Little is reported about the biology and behavior of these very young patients compared with older children. 18.75% of our pediatric HL patients (0 - 14 years) were <5 years at diagnosis. This group had more boys, similar incidence of B-symptoms and stage distribution, less mediastinal involvement and bulky disease, and more mixed cellularity subtype than older children. Treatment included chemotherapy (CT; n = 55), combined modality therapy (CMT; n = 12) and XRT only (n = 2). Ten-year EFS and OS was 81.5% and 90.4%, respectively, versus 75.5% and 90.5% for older children (p > 0.5). A trend toward better survival was seen with CMT, using very LD-XRT, than with CT (OS 100% vs. 86.4%[p = 0.3]; EFS 90.9% vs. 81.0%[p = 0.4]). Although CT could be effective in a subset of LR patients, LD-XRT may be needed to effectively treat most of these patients. This dose reduction may reduce XRT-related toxicity, which can be significant in very young children.

2691 Poster Board II-667 Background Treatment outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma have improved significantly. This, however, means that the number of patients relapsing following modern therapy is small and the information regarding their clinical characteristics and treatment outcome is limited. Methods Clinical information for patients with HL treated on an ABVD protocol were retrospectively collected. For those patients who suffered relapse or progression, data relating to this event, the treatment received and the outcome were collected and reviewed. Results Between May 1990 and December 2006 230 children (<14 years) were treated for HL at our institution. 30 patients suffered treatment failure; 21 relapses and 9 progressions (PD). The median time to failure was 1.1years (0.05–7.29 yrs); 0.58 years for patients who progressed and 1.4 years for relapsing patients. 16 patients maintained their stage at relapse, 9 relapsed at a lower stage and 5 at a higher stage. 24 patients were subsequently treated with chemotherapy alone, one with XRT alone and 4 received CMT. One patient with progressive disease did not receive any salvage therapy. Chemotherapy protocols used included APPE (n=13), COPP (n=6), ESHAP (n=2), MOPP (n=2), COPPABV (n=2), MOPPABV (n=1) and ABVD/COPP (n=1). One patient with a nodular lymphocyte predominance HL progressed as a DLBCL and was treated on a NHL protocol. 10 patients subsequently underwent SCT (9 autologous and one allogeneic). 19/29 patients achieved CR post 2nd line therapy, while 5 each had PR and PD. OS at 6 years is 65.7%. Outcome for patients with PD was significantly worse than for those who relapsed (47.6% v. 73.2%; p=0.048). There was no difference in outcome for those patients who underwent SCT compared with those who did not (63% v. 66.4%; p=NS). Conclusion A majority of pediatric patients with HL who relapse following ABVD therapy can be salvaged. Outcome for patients following chemotherapy alone was no different from those who underwent SCT; therefore the necessity for SCT needs to be evaluated based on risk stratification. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Stage IV disease is associated with poor risk features and confers a worse outcome than stage I-III disease. Achievement of complete remission with CT is an important prognostic feature. Slow responders may require novel and/or aggressive therapy to achieve complete remission.

The ABVD protocol is probably the most effective chemotherapy (CTX) regimen for the treatment of Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), however the dose and volume, and indeed the need for radiation therapy (XRT) in combination remains uncertain. Pediatric patients (0–14 years) at our institution have been treated with ABVD either with or without XRT, based on the treating physician’s decision. Patients receiving XRT were usually given one or two cycles less of CTX than those without. Since 1998 we have used 1500cGy as the dose of XRT, however the field was determined by the radiation oncologist. Between 1990 and 2003, 152 patients were treated according to the ABVD protocol. Of these, 64 were treated with CTX alone, while 88 also received radiation as consolidation therapy (Combined modality therapy; CMT). Of those who received XRT 63 were administered a dose of 1500cGy. The remaining 25 received various higher doses (1655cGy: 1, 2400cGy: 9, 2500cGy: 10, 3500cGy: 3, 3680cGy: 1, 3980cGy:1). Patients who were treated with CMT were older (mean age 9.2 v. 7.4 years; p&lt;0.05), had less B-symptoms (10.2% v. 26.6%; p&lt;0.05), but not more bulky disease (43.2% v. 34.4%; p=0.2). CTX group had more patients with stage III and IV disease, while CMT group had more stage II disease (p&lt;0.05). With a median follow-up of 4 years, the actuarial overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) at 5 years for all the patients is 97.3% and 88.0%, respectively. The OS and EFS for the patients treated with CTX and CMT were 95.3% v. 98.8% (p=0.4) and 85.1% v. 90.2% (p=0.3), respectively. We next looked at the patients who received only 1500cGy of radiation therapy. Of the 63 patients, 29 received extended field radiation (EFXRT) and 34 involved field radiation (IFXRT). Patients who received radiation were administered a median of two cycles of ABVD less than those who did not (median 4 v. 6 cycles; mean 4.3 v. 5.1, p&lt;0.05). OS at 5 years for the patients treated by CTX v. CMT/EFXRT v. CMT/IFXRT is 95.3%, 96.6% and 100%, respectively (p=0.3). The EFS for the same groups is 85.1%, 86.2% and 90.1% (p=0.4). Conclusion: Pediatric patients with HL can be treated successfully with minimal or no XRT. These results need to be confirmed in a prospective clinical trial.

Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is rarely seen in <5-year olds in developed nations. Even in developing countries, where a tendency towards younger age of presentation has been shown, this represents a minority of cases. Little is known about the biology and behavior of these very young patients with HL as compared to older children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed HL cases diagnosed and treated at our institution between 1975 and 2003. HL was diagnosed histopathologically and staged clinically. The pediatric age group ranged from 0–14 years. Treatment strategy for these very young children was focused on the elimination of radiation therapy (XRT). Results: 69/368 (18.75%) patients were less than 5 years at diagnosis. When compared to older patients, there was a trend towards male predominance (M:F 4.31 v. 2.65; p=0.2), but no difference in the incidence of B-symptoms (26.1% v. 32.9%; p=1.0) and stage distribution (p=1.0). There was less mediastinal involvement (p=0.025) or bulky disease (p=0.01) in the younger patients. These patients had more mixed cellularity and less nodular sclerosis subtype (p=0.025). Fifty-five were treated with chemotherapy (CTX) alone, 12 with combined modality therapy (CMT) and 2 with XRT only. 35/55 CTX patients were treated with ABVD (20 per standard schedule, 13 modified and 2 unknown), 12 MOPP and 8 with hybrid or combination CTX (4 MOPP/ABVD, 3 COPP/ABVD and 1 unspecified). All CMT patients received ABVD (9 standard and 3 modified) and XRT (1500cGy/IF for 5, 1500cGy/EF for 4 and 2400cGy/EF, 2720cGy/IF and 3060cGy/IF for one each). The two XRT alone patients had stage I cervical disease and received 3900cGy and 3250cGy IFXRT. At ten years the EFS and OS for these patients under 5-years of age was 81.5% and 90.4%, respectively, compared to 75.5% and 90.5% for the children between 5 and 14 years of age (p>0.5 for both comparisons). OS (86.4% v. 100%; p=0.3, Log Rank test) and EFS (81.0% v. 90.9%; p=0.4, Log Rank test) for CTX v. CMT groups were not statistically significantly different. The CTX group had more B-symptoms (29.1% v. 16.1%) and higher stage disease (stage III/IV 47.3% v. 25%; stage IV 12.73% v. 0%). Conclusions: HL patients <5years old do not present with higher risk disease than older children. They can successfully be treated without XRT using CTX alone. XRT can be reserved for treating the few who relapse. This may result in reduction in XRT related toxicity, which can be significant in these very young children.