Oct. 25, 2010 A lower dose of radiation used to reduce side
effects is not as effective as the regular dose when given with
the standard chemotherapy in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma
patients with early, intermediate-stage disease, according to a
first-of-its-kind randomized study to be presented at the
plenary session, Nov. 1, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). In addition,
the trial showed that a more intensive chemotherapy (BEACOPP) is
not more effective than the standard chemotherapy treatment
(ABVD) for these patients. "This confirms that four cycles of
ABVD, followed by 30 Gy involved field radiation therapy, should
continue to be the standard treatment for early intermediate-
stage Hodgkin's lymphoma patients," Hans Theodor Eich, M.D.,
Ph.D. lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the
University of Cologne, in Cologne, Germany, said. "Prior to the
study, it was unclear what the optimal chemotherapy regimen and
the most effective