Treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma: the past, present, and future

Significant advances in the biology and treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have been accomplished over the past decades. In a landmark study, DeVita and colleagues showed that half of patients with advanced-stage HL experienced long-term disease-free survival following treatment with a four-drug chemotherapy regimen. Subsequent reports and randomized clinical trials conducted over the past 40 years have defined prognostic categories and refined the treatment options for patients with early-stage and advanced-stage HL. New treatment concepts and regimens have continued to increase the cure rate of HL, while other analyses have documented the acute and long-term morbid and potentially fatal side effects of HL therapy. Increased knowledge of HL biology has been gained, in particular, much has been learnt about the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of malignant cells and the varied oncogenic signaling pathways involved in HL. Continued translational research is needed to improve the long-term survival and to lessen the toxicities associated with therapy. Furthermore, continued clinical-trial involvement by oncologists and patients is imperative to further advance the field of HL.