The effects of high-dosage radiotherapy on the marrow granulocyte responses to both etiocholanolone and bacterial endotoxin were studied in 13 patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease. Widespread radiation therapy was found to have immediate suppressive effects on granulocyte mobilization, which increased when more extensive areas of the bone marrow were irradiated. Following the cessation of therapy, however, there was a progressive restoration to normal of the marrow granulocyte reserves over a 5-month period of time. Although greatly increasing the degree of immediate myelosuppression, the addition of prophylactic radiation (2000 rads) to the bone marrow of the pelvic area did not retard the reestablishment of normal marrow responsiveness. A possible explanation for this observation is discussed.
HE EFFICACY OF RADIOTHERAPY IN THE
T treatment of localized Hodgkin's disease has been clearly established.2.6 When the disease is widespread but still confined to the lymph nodes, sequential irradiation of all areas bearing lymph nodes has been recommended.697 It has also been suggested that patients with localized disease may benefit from the addition of prophylactic radiotherapy to all clinically uninvolved lymph node areas.7.11 Extensive radiation therapy, however, will expose a significant amount of bone marrow to irradiation and result in depres-____