ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a state of the art summary of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) to its biology, epidemiology, disease mechanisms, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Classified under the mature lymphoid, histiocytic, and dendritic neoplasms category, HL makes up about 15% of lymphoma cases and is divided on the basis of histological and phenotypic features of the tumor cells into nodular lymphocyte predominant HL and classical HL (CHL). HL is responsible for about 1% of all cancers and 6% of childhood cancers, with an annual incidence of about three cases per 100,000 and a propensity to affect younger adults. About 40% of HL patients manifest nonspecific constitutional symptoms of which unexplained fever, unexplained weight loss, and drenching night sweats are commonly referred to as B symptoms. Diagnosis of HL requires the identification of characteristic neoplastic cells within an inflammatory milieu.
