Hodgkin Disease

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

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• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Hodgkin disease is a type of lymphoma. Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. The first sign of Hodgkin disease is often an enlarged lymph node. The disease can spread to nearby lymph nodes. Later it may spread to the lungs, liver, or bone marrow. The exact cause is unknown.

Hodgkin disease is rare. Symptoms include

• Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin
• Fever and chills
• Night sweats
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Itchy skin

To diagnose Hodgkin disease, doctors use a physical exam and history, blood tests, and a biopsy. Treatment depends on how far the disease has spread. It often includes radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the more effective the treatment. In most cases, Hodgkin disease can be cured.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Hodgkin Lymphoma in Adults (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
• Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• What Is Hodgkin Disease? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What You Need to Know about Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Blood Count Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• How Is Hodgkin Disease Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Needle Biopsy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Stages of Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Stages of Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• What Are the Risk Factors for Hodgkin Disease? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Bone Marrow Transplantation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Drugs Approved for Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute)
• Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
• Treating Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Disease (NLPHD) (American Cancer Society)
• Treatment Option Overview (Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma) (National Cancer Institute)
• Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma) (National Cancer Institute)
• Treatment Options for Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Options for Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Options for Primary Refractory/Recurrent Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children and Adolescents (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Relationships and Recovery for Young Adult Lymphoma Survivors (Lymphoma Research Foundation)
• What Happens After Treatment for Hodgkin Disease? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• General Information about AIDS-Related Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Getting the Facts: Cancer-Related Fatigue (Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
• What's the Difference between Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Statistics and Research

• Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute)
• What Are the Key Statistics for Hodgkin Disease? (American Cancer Society)
• What's New in Hodgkin Disease Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hodgkin Disease (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: The genetics of Hodgkin lymphoma: an overview and clinical implications.
• Article: Comparison of first-line chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP versus chemotherapy including...
• Article: Encouraging activity for R-CHOP in advanced stage nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin...
• Hodgkin Disease -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Learning about Lymphoma: Glossary of Terms (Lymphoma Research Foundation)

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Lymphoma Research Foundation
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• NCI Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Children

• General Information about Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Hodgkin Lymphoma (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Hodgkin Lymphoma (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Chest radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hodgkin lymphoma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hodgkin lymphoma - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish