Table of Contents
Treatment
Treatment options depend on:
- Type of Hodgkin’s disease
- Tumor stage, size, and location
- Patient’s age and overall health status
- Presence or absence of “B symptoms” (weight loss, persistent fever, night sweats)
Certain factors may determine whether more intensive treatment is required. For example, the presence of B symptoms and “bulky” (large mass) tumors usually indicates a more aggressive treatment approach.
Chemotherapy, radiation, or both (chemoradiation) are the main treatments for Hodgkin’s disease. Stem cell transplantation may be recommended for patients whose cancer has recurred.
Staging
Hodgkin’s disease is staged (I through IV) depending on how far the cancer has spread. Staging is the primary method for determining both treatment options and prognosis.
Stage I. Disease is limited to a single node region (I) or has involved one neighboring area or a single nearby organ.
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Review Date: 01/27/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
