Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma has been known since 1832 as a nosologic heterogeneous entity with the name of Hodgkin's disease. Along with accurate pathologie description, detailed staging procedures, safe radiation therapy and active systemic chemotherapy administration, Hodgkin's lymphoma has taken enormous benefits from the improvements observed in the battle against cancer during the second part of the 20th century. It has become a model of many malignancies because it is curable in the majority of cases even at an advanced stage. However, cure per se is not the one and single achievement when side effects and later complications of the treatments are considered. The development of new strategies based on the better knowledge of the biological characteristics and of the clinicat behaviour of Hodgkin's lymphoma is the next goal of modern research.