The new therapeutical scenario of Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remains one of the most curable human cancers, as modern combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy cure ∼ 80% of patients. Over the last two decades, the major efforts were focused on the development of more intensive front-line regimens for patients with advanced stage HL, decreasing the number of chemotherapy cycles and radiation therapy field and doses for patients with early-stage HL and incorporating positron emission tomography imaging in diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment planning. More recently, the improved knowledge of the molecular biology of the disease led to the development of highly active new agents, including the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Accordingly, the current efforts are focusing on incorporating these new agents into standard of care regimens, aiming at further improving cure rates, while reducing treatment-related toxicity. In this review, we will focus on the current status of HL therapy and how the development of new agents is re-shaping standard of care regimens.