Hodgkin lymphoma

The following summary is from Orphanet, a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a heterogeneous group of malignant lymphoid neoplasms of B-cell origin characterized histologically by the presence of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells in the vast majority of cases.

HL is an uncommon cancer with an incidence of about 1/40,000 in North America and Europe. There are about 8500 new cases reported in the U.S. each year.

HL is comprised of 2 major forms: classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL; see this term), seen in 95% of all HL cases, and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL; see this term), seen in only 5% of all HL cases. Disease onset occurs most frequently in young adults (age 15-35) followed by older adults (over the age of 55) and usually begins with the painless swelling of a lymph node in the upper body. Disease can spread to multiple lymph node regions or lymphoid structures and associated systemic symptoms (weight loss > 10% of baseline, fevers, night sweats) are observed in about 20% of patients.

The exact cause is unknown but immunological, genetic and environmental factors are thought to be involved.

Treatment with radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy leads to a very good prognosis. Follow-up physical exams, blood tests and x-rays are needed to check for recurrence and check for any long-term side effects of the toxic treatments. Possible long-term side effects include secondary cancers, infertility, reduced immunity, thyroid problems, heart disease and stroke.

The international prognostic score (IPS) is a score given based on the presence of 7 risk factors (male sex, >45 years of age, stage 4 disease, serum albumin <4g/dl, hemoglobin <10.5 g/l, lymphocytopenia and WBC count >15,000/mm3) at the time of diagnosis. The more factors present, the less favorable the prognosis. The cure rates are 90% for early-stage HL and 70% for advance stage HL.

Visit the Orphanet disease page for more resources.

Last updated: 10/1/2012

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

• Brentuximab vedotin (Brand name: Adcetris) - Manufactured by Seattle Genetics, Inc
  FDA-approved indication: March 2018 approved for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), in combination with chemotherapy. August 2015 approved for treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma at high risk of relapse or progression as post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). August 2011 approved for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates.
  National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
  Medline Plus Health Information
• Pembrolizumab (Brand name: Keytruda) - Manufactured by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp
  FDA-approved indication: Treatment of adult and pediatric patients with refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), or those who have relapsed after three or more prior lines of therapy.
  National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
  Medline Plus Health Information
• Nivolumab (Brand name: Opdivo) - Manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co
  FDA-approved indication: Treatment of adult patients with Classical Hodgkin lymphoma that has relapsed or progressed after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT.
  National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
  Medline Plus Health Information

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

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These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.