Treatment of spinal cord compression in Hodgkin's disease.

Abstract

The management of the spinal cord lesions secondary to Hodgkin's disease requires an interdisciplinary team comprising a neurosurgeon, radiation therapist, and chemotherapist to plan and supervise the treatment of the patient. Laminectomy is not always mandatory. Acute decompression can usually be achieved by chemotherapy. The advantage of using chemotherapy initially—aside from elimination of surgical morbidity—is that it permits definitive radiation therapy to be started early.