Prognostic factors in Hodgkin lymphoma

Depending on stage and risk factor profile, up to 95% of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma at first presentation reach complete remission after the initial standard treatment including radiotherapy, combination chemotherapy or combined modality therapy. Patients who relapse after first complete remission can achieve a second complete remission and long-term disease-free survival with salvage treatment including radiotherapy for localized relapse in previously nonirradiated areas, conventional salvage chemotherapy, or high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation. In general, risk-adapted treatment strategies are used in the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. Adequate staging of newly diagnosed patients enables optimal treatment planning, which is of particular importance for finding a balance between treatment efficacy and toxicity. In this review, an overview is given of the current knowledge of clinical and biological risk factors and the role of imaging modalities during and after treatment.