Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment and Survival Rate

July 13, 2024

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Alex Herrera, M.D., associate professor, division of lymphoma, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte

Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is dependent on the disease type, stage and results from imaging scans. For this reason, treatment plans are customized for each patient, taking into account age, overall health and personal preferences.

Each treatment option has distinct side effects, so it is important to be aware of the benefits and risks.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that is considered highly treatable.

How Is Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated?

Most people with Hodgkin lymphoma receive chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy as part of their treatment. Other types of treatment may be used for advanced-stage or recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma.

Chemotherapy: Combination chemotherapy — the use of multiple chemotherapy drugs together to destroy cancer cells — is typically used for Hodgkin lymphoma instead of using drugs one at a time. There are several common regimens. Imaging tools, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans or computed tomography (CT) scans, may be used to track how well a chemotherapy regimen is working or to determine how much more treatment is needed.

Radiation therapy: High-energy, focused beams of radiation may be given from a machine outside the body in order to destroy cancer cells. Because Hodgkin lymphoma typically spreads in a predictable pattern when the cancer is only seen in one area, a type of targeted radiation therapy called involved-field radiation (or involved-site radiation) may be used. If cancer is found in a larger area, another type called extended-field radiation therapy may be used.

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy drugs may help the body’s own immune system find and attack cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates and immune checkpoint inhibitors are types of immunotherapies that may be used for Hodgkin lymphoma.

High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant: For Hodgkin lymphoma that hasn’t responded to other treatments or has come back after treatment, high-dose chemotherapy may be an option. Very high doses of chemotherapy are used to destroy the cancer cells, but they also damage the remaining healthy bone marrow. A stem cell transplant after this high-dose therapy allows the body to rebuild new bone marrow.

Hodgkin Lymphoma Survival Rate

The five-year relative survival rate of Hodgkin lymphoma is fairly high at 89%, according to the National Cancer Institute. This means that 89% of people who had Hodgkin lymphoma were alive five years or longer after they were diagnosed, compared to people without that cancer type. This rate increased to 92% for people who only had cancer in one lymph area or one organ when they received their Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis.

Survival rates serve as estimates, but they don’t take into account factors like a patient’s age and overall health. Since they reflect data from at least five years ago, treatment advances may mean that survival rates could improve in the future.