Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune defense network. It is distinguished from other lymphomas by the presence of large, abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The disease is staged from I to IV based on how many lymph node regions are involved and whether it has spread beyond the lymphatic system to organs like the lungs, liver, or bone marrow. Standard first-line treatment typically involves chemotherapy (often ABVD regimen) with or without radiation therapy, achieving cure rates above 80%. However, about 10-30% of patients relapse or have disease that doesn't respond to initial treatment. For these patients, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant has been the standard approach. More recently, targeted therapies and immunotherapy have transformed the treatment of relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma, with checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) and antibody-drug conjugates (brentuximab vedotin) showing remarkable response rates.