In recent years, significant progress has been made in the approach to the patient with Hodgkin's disease. A new histopathologic classification has been adopted and reproducible prognostic factors have been recognized. Patients are treated according to their clinical stage and, in patients with early-stage disease, also according to their prognostic factors. A consistent sequence of studies in patients with early-stage disease has made laparotomy followed by radiation therapy obsolete. In patients with advanced disease, ABVD emerged as the regimen with the best risk/benefit ratio after a hard series of direct comparisons against MOPP and combinations of MOPP and ABVD. Two innovative regimens, Stanford V and BEACOPP, are currently undergoing a thorough evaluation. However, the improvement of treatment outcome is ultimately dependent on reducing the therapy-related toxicity for patients with low-risk disease, while improving disease control for patients with poor-risk disease through a risk-dependent approach.
Hodgkin's disease; Hodgkin's lymphoma; treatment; prognostic factors
