Radiation therapy, which shrinks tumors, has been used to treat
Hodgkin's disease for more than 50 years . High-dose radiation
is generally reserved for adults. Radiation treatments are very
toxic for children and appear to add little benefit. In young
patients, radiation is mostly used if there are large areas of
disease in the chest; otherwise, chemotherapy, which may be
combined with low-dose radiation, is the best option and
produces excellent survival rates. Radiation Treatment
Approaches The two main types of radiation therapy used for
Hodgkin's disease are extended field radiation and involved
field radiation. Extended field radiation targets the diseased
lymph nodes and surrounding healthy lymph nodes. Extended-field
radiation is rarely given in combination with chemotherapy.
Specific subtypes of extended field radiation are used depending
on the location of the disease: - If HD is above the diaphragm,
“extended field radiation” is delivered to the neck, chest, and
under arms (called the mantle field)