Hodgkin's Treatment by Stage

One of the most important factors affecting treatment for Hodgkin's disease is the stage, or extent, of the cancer. For adults with the cancer, stages of Hodgkin's disease used for treatment purposes include early favorable, early unfavorable, advanced favorable, and advanced unfavorable. Cancer that has returned following treatment is known as recurrent Hodgkin's disease. The following article breaks down options for Hodgkin's treatment by stage of the cancer.

Hodgkin's Disease (Lymphoma)

Hodgkin's Treatment by Stage: An Introduction

Once a doctor has finished diagnosing Hodgkin's disease (also known as Hodgkin's lymphoma), he or she then needs to determine the extent, or stage, of the disease. The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the lymph system or to other parts of the body is called staging. It is important to know the stage of the cancer in order to plan Hodgkin's disease treatment.

For adults with Hodgkin's disease, the staging system used for recommending Hodgkin's treatment options uses the following terms:

Early favorable
Early unfavorable
Advanced favorable
Advanced unfavorable.

Cancer that has returned following treatment is known as recurrent Hodgkin's disease.

(Click Stages of Hodgkin's Lymphoma to learn more about the staging of Hodgkin's disease.)

The following article breaks down options for Hodgkin's treatment by stage of the cancer.

Treatment for Early Favorable Hodgkin's Disease

Treatment of early favorable Hodgkin's disease may include the following:

Combination chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy to parts of the body with cancer
Radiation therapy alone to areas of the body with cancer or to the mantle field (neck, chest, armpits)
Clinical trials of new combinations of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both.

(Hodgkin's Treatment by Stage Continued: Page 2)