Prognostic factors

Abstract

Based on the universally adopted 1971 Ann Arbor staging classification, Hodgkin lymphoma is grouped into four different clinical stages based on the extent of disease. Numerous clinical risk factors are additionally applied to stratify patients for purpose of first-line treatment, with differences in treatment-group allocation based on regional or study-group preferences. Lately, functional imaging by 18FDG positron emission tomography became a powerful tool to precisely measure the extent and volume of disease as well as to guide treatment both in the first line and relapsed/refractory setting. Additionally a variety of biological risk factors have been evaluated for their prognostic significance and are increasingly investigated in light of widespread use of targeted agents. Altogether the landscape of prognostic factors in HL is invariably increasing, and more modern markers are likely to be incorporated in routine clinical practice. This chapter summarizes the currently available data on prognostic factors and risk group classifications in HL and provides an overview of recent developments and future perspectives.