[Chemotherapy in Hodgkin's disease (author's transl)]

The chemotherapy in its systemic form should be reserved for advanced Hodgkin's disease, i.e. stages III B and IV, but it deserves consideration even for stage II B if B-symptoms are prominent. The following problems will be discussed: 1. Monotherapy or combination chemotherapy? 2. Simultaneous or sequential drug application in case of combined chemotherapy? 3. Continuous application or intermittent therapy? 4. Maintenance therapy or unmaintained remission? 5. Use of chemotherapy in early stages too? 6. Use of combined modality approach (chemo-/radiotherapy) with regard to the stage of the disease? Some combination chemotherapy regimens (MOPP, ABDV) as well as sequential drug application in case of treatment failures will be discussed . Hazards of a complete course of chemotherapy following total nodal irradiation or total nodal irradiation following such combination chemotherapy are mentioned. If the radiation dose is reduced, the combined modality approach might still improve results of treatment. Finally some new drugs in development for treatment of resistant disease are introduced.