Hodgkin's disease: Kuwait experience.

OBJECTIVE To describe histologic subtypes, clinical presentation and treatment outcome of Hodgkin's lymphoma in Kuwait. SUBJECTS AND METHOD Patients older than 15 years, diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma between 1980 and 1998, were included in this retrospective analysis. Data were collected using a standardized form that included demographics, histologic subtypes, clinical presentation, stage, extranodal involvement, treatment modality and follow-up. Histology reports were obtained from hospital records. RESULTS There were 83 (59%) males and 57 (41%) females. Dominant histologic subtypes were nodular sclerosis 65 (46.4%) and mixed cellularity 42 (30%). Constitutional symptoms were reported by 54 (38.6%) of the cases. Two thirds (64%) of the cases were advanced. Primary extranodular involvement included liver (8%), gastrointestinal tract (7%), lung and bone marrow (4% each). Disease-free survival according to treatment groups were: radiotherapy alone 100%, chemotherapy alone 88%, and combined modality 65%. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall disease-free survival was 84%. CONCLUSION In the cohort of 137 patients with Hodgkin's disease the treatment with combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy had a remarkable outcome. However, evaluation of long-term treatment complications is needed.