Leukopenia prognosis by radiation therapy of patients with Hodgkin's disease.

The investigation goal of the present study is the possible utilization of early postradiation peripheral blood DNA content changes during radiotherapy (RT) of cancer patients for prognostic purposes related to the subsequent ascertaiment of leukopenia values. Twenty-three primary patients with II-III stage Hodgkin's disease were treated at the linear accelerator of 15 Mev electrons by usual fractionation to a total dose of 40 Gy. The blood DNA content was fluorometrically determined by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole before treatment, 24 hrs after the first irradiated dose, in the middle and at the end of RT course.