Hodgkin's disease. Survival and histologic classification in a general medical center, 1952-1971.

Abstract

A retrospective review of Hodgkin' disease at a general referral center from 1952 to 1971 was carried out. Available pretreatment biopsies were classified by the modified Lukes-Butler classification into histologic types by a single pathologist, who then reviewed the same material 6 months later without the knowledge of his previous conclusions or patient identification. There was 95% concordance between original and review classifications. The frequency distribution of age of diagnosis and sex were unchanged over the time period of the study. The frequency distribution of histologic types was also unchanged when 5-year intervals were compared. However, there was no case of the lymphocytic-predominance type in the first half of the study period, which was significantly different from the incidence of this type in the second half of the study period. Survival rates showed no improvement in overall patient survival over the time period of the study but significant differences in the survivals of patients with different histologic types were noted.