Abstract
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a malignancy of the lymphatic system with an incidence of 2 - 3 cases/100 000 inhabitants per year across Europe and North America. The disease generally occurs in all age groups, but young adults are affected more frequently.
The prognosis of HL has changed from an incurable disease to one with one of the most favourable prognoses among adults in the past decades. This success was achieved due to the introduction of effective multi-agent chemotherapy and optimisation of radiation techniques.
Currently 85-95 % of patients achieve long-term remission after the appropriate first-line treatment. Up to 50 % of relapsed patients can be successfully treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation.
Thus, the aim of current studies is not necessarily to increase treatment efficacy but rather to focus on a reduction of both acute and late toxicity by decreasing treatment intensity. One promising strategy how to reduce the intensity of the therapy in low-risk patients is early response-adapted treatment stratification according to the result of interim positron emission tomography.
Evaluation of new drugs and adjustment of treatment for elderly HL patients and those with nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL are other areas of interest that are currently being addressed in ongoing trials. This article will give an overview of the most recent clinical trials and discuss the possible future strategies for the treatment of HL.