Advances in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (Review)

Abstract

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a unique B-cell lymphoproliferative malignancy that has a critical pathogenesis characterized by a sparse population of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells surrounded by numerous dysfunctional immune cells. Although systemic chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy, has significantly improved the prognosis of the majority of patients with HL, a subset of patients remains refractory to first-line therapy or relapse after achieving an initial response. With the increased understanding of the biology and microenvironment of HL, novel strategies with notable efficacy and manageable toxicity, including targeted therapies, immunotherapy and cell therapy have emerged. The present review summarizes the progress made in developing novel therapies for HL and discusses future research directions in HL therapy.