Comparing the effectiveness of pediatric chemotherapy in children and young adults

This study looked at the effectiveness of the standard pediatric chemotherapy regimen in children and young adults. The study concluded that adolescents and children have similar outcomes when treated with the pediatric chemotherapy regimen. 

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is generally considered a curable disease. It is the most common cancer in adolescents. The pediatric chemotherapy regimen is ABVE (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, and etoposide). Adults are usually treated with ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine).

The treatment of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with HL changes depending on whether they are treated by a pediatric oncologist or an adult oncologist. Previous studies have shown that AYAs treated with the pediatric chemotherapy regimen have better long-term outcomes. More research is needed about the effect of the pediatric chemotherapy regimen on adolescents and young adults. 

The medical records of 471 patients under the age of 21 were reviewed. 203 were adolescents and young adults (15-21 years old), and 268 were children under the age of 15. All patients were treated with ABVE. Patients with intermediate risk (stage IB) were treated with ABVE-PC (prednisone and cyclophosphamide). The average follow up time was 7.7 years.

The 5-year event-free survival rate (time from treatment to any negative complications) was 85.9% for adolescents and young adults. The 5-year event-free survival rate was 87.1% for children. The difference was not significant.

The overall survival rate (time from treatment to death from any cause) was 95.4% for intermediate risk children and 97.4% for low risk children. The overall survival rate was 92.9% for intermediate risk adolescents and 97.9% for low risk adolescents. The differences were not significant.

The authors concluded that adolescents have similar outcomes to children when treated with the pediatric chemotherapy regimen.