State of the art in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has become one of the most easily curable malignancies in oncology. More than 80% of patients can be cured with risk-adapted treatment that includes chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This progress is mainly due to the development of multi-agent chemotherapy and improved radiation techniques; however, severe, life-threatening treatment-related side effects occur, which include organ toxicity and secondary malignancies. Thus, the treatment approaches must be carefully balanced between optimal disease control and the risk of long-term sequelae. Although this article is meant to provide an overview of the current treatment approaches for patients with HL, in many instances conflicting results from various clinical trials are available, and a personal judgment is inevitable. Here, we focus on evidence from large clinical trials with solid conclusions. Borchmann, P. et al. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 9, 450-459 (2012); published online 12 June 2012; doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2012.91