New International Treatment Guidelines for Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma Minimize Radiation Dose Issued

Historically, children have been treated using the same chemotherapy and radiation regimens as adults with Hodgkin lymphoma, exposing them to more radiation than necessary.

The guidelines by the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) outlines the effective use of 3-D Computed Tomography-based (CT) radiation therapy planning, and volumetric image guidance, and other innovations for the treatment of children with Hodgkin Lymphoma, and was published in the March-April issue of the journal Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO).

The guidelines include help in defining radiation target volumes, and limiting dose to normal organs. According to the guidelines, accurate assessment of the location and extent of Hodgkin Lymphoma requires contrast-enhanced CT, and fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET). In addition, the response to chemotherapy treatment can be evaluated by fusing CT and FDG-PET images (taken before and after chemotherapy) to radiation therapy planning CT images.

Lead author of the guideline David C. Hodgson, MD, said, “The emergence of new imaging technologies, more accurate ways of delivering radiation therapy and more detailed patient selection criteria have made a significant change in our ability to customize treatment for many cancer patients. This guideline has the potential to reduce the radiation therapy breast dose by about 80 percent and the heart dose by about 65 percent for an adolescent girl with Hodgkin lymphoma.”

Related Links:
The International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group