Patients were eligible if they had early unfavorable disease or patients who presented with stage III or IV disease .Pt assigned to receive 6 cycles of Bleomycin Etoposide, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide Procarbazine, Prednisone (BEACOPP) or increased dose BEACOPP. (IDB). Patient with Stage I or II with
- 4 sites of disease, age ³50, ESR³50 “B” symptoms lymphocyte depleted histology “E” site, or bulky disease were defined as early unfavorable disease and were given standard BEACOPP (SB). Those with I, II B or bulky disease or Stage III, IV were defined according the IPS. Increased dose BEACOPP (IDB) cycles of therapy was initiated only to patients with IPS of 3 or more risk factors (high risk) Standard BEACOPP (SB) cycles were initiated to those with a score of 0-2 (standard risk). All patients had baseline GA67 or hybrid PET\CT scan at diagnosis and post first cycle for gallium scan or second cycle for hybrid PET\CT. Upon the scan results therapy was planned and given for addition of 4 cycles. Those with negative scan received cycles of SB as of the third cycle. Dose was reduced to level I to III if patient was hospitalized due to fever and neutropenia of 5 days or longer or pt had an episode of sepsis with unstable vital signs. Patient with residual uptake interpreted as positive scan had additional cycles of IDB for a total of 6 cycles
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