Diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma

The successful treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the most impressive achievements of modern medicine. Today more than 90 % of patients without fever, weight loss, or night sweats (B symptoms) are cured with optimal treatment, and 60-70 % of those with B symptoms are cured as well. Fortunately, most patients do not have B symptoms at presentation. These cure rates have not been achieved without problems. Long-term complications of cure have interrupted the well-being of a sizeable fraction of survivors, and relapses-even late relapses-are still a problem. Current clinical research is focused on optimal noninvasive staging of disease, reducing the short- and long-term complications of treatment, and early diagnosis of serious long-term complications such as cardiac disease and second malignancies.