Although age is a recognized prognostic factor in advanced Hodgkin's disease, there are few data concerning the use of combination chemotherapy in patients greater than 60 years. In two phase III trials of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B, 385 previously untreated patients with stage III or IV Hodgkin's disease received multidrug chemotherapy. All patients received a combination of either mechlorethamine or a nitrosourea, as well as a vinca alkaloid, procarbazine, and prednisone. Two hundred and five patients were less than 40 years of age, 107 were 40-59 years, and 73 were greater than or equal to 60 years. The overall response rates in these three age groups were 70%, 66%, and 40%, respectively. Age at the time of diagnosis was the predominant factor affecting response, and the response rate was not significantly higher in those older patients who received full doses of chemotherapy. Age was also associated with an increased frequency of serious leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. The group of patients greater than or equal to 60 years of age experienced the shortest median time to recurrence, 33 months. The intermediate age group also had a shorter time to recurrence (median, 44 months) than patients less than 40 years (median not yet reached). The low complete response rate and the short duration of response in the patients greater than or equal to 60 years of age resulted in a median survival time of 18 months. Even when the analysis of restricted to just the older patients who received greater than or equal to 90% of the projected drug doses, the complete remission rate, the median time to recurrence (20 months), and the duration of survival (27 months) are still much shorter than in younger patients.