Contemporary radiation therapy in combined modality therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma

The advent of effective combination chemotherapy markedly changed the management of Hodgkin lymphoma, establishing combined modality therapy as the standard of care for most patients with this disease. In response, significant interest has been shown in refining the delivery of radiation in the combined modality setting such that toxicity is minimized while still preserving disease control. An understanding of the way in which radiation treatment fields, prescription dose, and advanced technology have evolved to accomplish these goals is critical. Moreover, fluency in the clinical literature exploring contemporary questions, such as the omission of radiation and response-based treatment, is equally important. Knowledge of these topics will yield both an appreciation of the value of radiation in the combined modality setting and the ability to better customize treatment regimens to individual patients.