Hodgkin lymphoma in children, adolescents and young adults–a comparative study of clinical presentation and treatment outcome

Abstract

Background: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treatment protocols for children, adolescents and young adults traditionally differ, but the biological and clinical justification for this remains uncertain. Material and methods: We compared age-dependent clinical presentation and treatment and outcome for 1072 classical HL patients 0–24 years diagnosed in Denmark (1990–2010) and Sweden (1992–2009) in pediatric (n = 315, Denmark <15 years, Sweden <18 years) or adult departments (n = 757). Distribution of clinical characteristics was assessed with Pearson’s chi2-test and Mantel–Haenszel trend test. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analyses. Hazard ratios (HR) were used to compare the different treatment groups and calculated using Cox regression. Results: Children (0–9 years) less often presented with advanced disease than adolescents (10–17 years) and young adults (18–24 years) (stage IIB-IV: children 32% vs. adolescents 50%, and adults 55%; p