Hodgkin's disease

Abstract

Significant progress has been made over the past decade in the classification, diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and treatment of Hodgkin's disease (HD). A new classification system has recognized differences in the natural history of certain subtypes. The introduction of positron emission tomography has improved the accuracy of non-invasive staging. New prognostic indices have led to the development of risk-adapted treatment strategies. The serious long-term side effects of extended-field radiotherapy have prompted the increasing use of chemotherapy in conjunction with limited radiotherapy for early-stage patients. Combination chemotherapy remains the treatment of choice for advanced HD, and new dose-intense regimens appear to have improved activity. Patients who relapse now have a more favorable prognosis with the availability of active salvage regimens, autologous stem cell transplantation, and novel biologic agents.