First-line treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma

Substantial clinical progress over the last decades has made Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) into one of the most curable human cancers in adults. About 80% of patients in all stages and of all histological subtypes experience long-term disease-free survival. Modern treatment strategies aim to improve chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while minimizing therapy-related toxicities. Ongoing trials investigate a reduction of chemotherapy doses or cycles and the application of lower-radiation doses and smaller radiation field sizes. For patients with a specific high-risk profile, novel approaches with more intense drug combinations are currently being investigated in clinical trials. Here, we review recent approaches in the first-line treatment of early-favorable, early-unfavorable, and advanced-stage HL.