National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Hodgkin lymphoma


Other Names:
Hodgkin disease; Hodgkin's lymphoma; Lymphoma, Hodgkin's
Categories:
The following summary is from Orphanet, a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.
orphanet

Orpha Number: 98293

Definition
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.

Epidemiology
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.

Clinical description
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.

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

Management and treatment
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.

Prognosis
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

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Fatigue
Tired
Tiredness
[ more ] 		0012378
Immunodeficiency
Decreased immune function
0002721
Lymphadenopathy
Swollen lymph nodes
0002716
Lymphoma
Cancer of lymphatic system
0002665
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Anorexia 0002039
Chest pain 0100749
Cough
Coughing
0012735
Fever 0001945
Hyperhidrosis
Excessive sweating
Increased sweating
Profuse sweating
Sweating
Sweating profusely
Sweating, increased
[ more ] 		0000975
Pruritus
Itching
Itchy skin
Skin itching
[ more ] 		0000989
Weight loss 0001824
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Ataxia 0001251
Bone pain 0002653
Dyspnea
Trouble breathing
0002094
Headache
Headaches
0002315
Hemoptysis
Coughing up blood
0002105
Hepatomegaly
Enlarged liver
0002240
Peripheral neuropathy 0009830
Splenomegaly
Increased spleen size
0001744
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Hodgkin lymphoma 0012189
Impaired lymphocyte transformation with phytohemagglutinin 0003347
Polyclonal elevation of IgM 0003459
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

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.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics 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, brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) was approved for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), in combination with chemotherapy. In August 2015, it was 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). In August 2011, it was 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.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Hodgkin lymphoma. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

  • Good Days provides help to patients with life-altering conditions. Assistance includes help with the cost of medications and travel.

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.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers. 
  • The National Cancer Institute provides the most current information on cancer for patients, health professionals, and the general public.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hodgkin lymphoma. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.