Staging and treatment of Hodgkin's disease

The prognosis and treatment of patients with Hodgkin's disease depend on the malignancy's stage and histologic subtype. Many patients with stage I and II disease are cured by radiation therapy. Staging laparotomy is instrumental in determining which early-stage patients are candidates for radiotherapy alone. Chemotherapy results in prolonged, relapse-free survival in most patients with stage III and IV disease. Hodgkin's disease is one of the most treatable malignancies.