Hodgkin's disease. Strategy for management of Hodgkin's disease

It is accepted that radiotherapy is the most efficient method of eradicating local Hodgkin's disease when the disease is limited to the main lymph nodes and the spleen. Most authorities agree that a dose of 40.0 Gy in four weeks is necessary. However, there is considerable disagreement between centres as to the extent that should be treated by radiation prophylactically. At the present time, unless the radiotherapist is taking part in special research programmes, the following recommendations provide a compromise which will treat as far as possible all affected nodes and at the same time avoid excessive irradiation to sensitive tissues