Originally published as JCO Early Release 10.1200/JCO.2005.17.970 on July 11 2005

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Lymphocyte-Rich Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcome in 100 Patients Treated Within German Hodgkin's Study Group Trials

From the First Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Cologne; German Hodgkin's Study Group; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cologne, Cologne; Evangelisches Krankenhaus, Innere Medizin, Hämato-Onkologie, Hamm; Kreiskrankenhaus, Innere Medizin, Hämato-Onkologie, Bad Hersfeld; Wald-Klinikum Gera gGmbH, II. Medizinische Klinik, Gera; and Department of Pathology, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

Address reprint requests to Andreas Josting, MD, First Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str 9, 50924 Cologne, Germany; e-mail: andreas.josting{at}uni-koeln.de

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of patients with lymphocyte-rich classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (LRCHL) compared with other histologic subtypes of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: From a total of 2,715 patients with biopsy-proven HL treated within the trials HD7 to HD12 of the German Hodgkin's Study Group, 100 patients (4%) with LRCHL, 145 patients (5%) with lymphocyte-predominant HL (LPHL), 1,688 patients (62%) with nodular sclerosis, 731 patients (27%) with mixed cellularity, and 23 patients (1%) with lymphocyte depletion were identified. Patients with LRCHL had a median age of 38 years (range, 16 to 74 years).

RESULTS: Compared with other histologic subtypes, patients with LRCHL are, on average, older and usually present with early stages of disease (stage I, 34%; stage II, 46%). The median time of follow-up was 32.2 months (95% CI, 28.2 to 37.0 months). Complete and partial remission was achieved in 96 patients (96%) and four patients (4%), respectively, with LRCHL. The event-free and overall survival rates were 97% (95% CI, 96.7% to 96.9%) and 97% (95% CI, 96.8% to 97.0%), respectively, at 30 months. Only three patients died; all of the deaths were caused by treatment-related toxicities.

CONCLUSION: LRCHL is a distinct subtype of CHL, with features of CHL and LPHL, and is a rare entity accounting for only 4% of HLs. LRCHL has a different pattern of clinical presentation and age and sex distribution than other CHLs. It is associated with an excellent prognosis if treated with current treatment regimens. When treating patients with LRCHL, great attention should be paid to avoid acute toxicities.

Supported by grants from the Deutsche Krebshilfe and the Kompetenznetz Maligne Lymphome.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

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