Dawaa Reference

chronic

Hodgkin lymphoma

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

Hodgkin Lymphoma - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK499969) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499969/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class BD25.00 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified against1 document
  • No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (5)

  • Presentation is usually painless lymph node swelling above the diaphragm, involving one or two node regions [lymphadenopathy]
  • B symptoms - unexplained major weight loss, spiking fevers, and soaking night sweats - occur in up to 30% of patients [night sweats · weight loss]
  • Alcohol intake can trigger pain in affected lymph nodes, a paraneoplastic feature
  • Persistent itching without a rash can be a presenting complaint [itching]
  • A bulky mass in the chest can cause chest pain and breathlessness from compression of nearby structures [breathlessness · chest pain]

Signs — what you find (4)

  • Nodular sclerosis disease affects mostly young adults and tends to present at an early stage
  • Mixed cellularity disease occurs across children and the elderly and usually presents at an advanced stage
  • Lymphocyte-depleted disease presents with extensive spread outside the nodes, mainly in older patients and those with AIDS
  • The nodular lymphocyte-predominant form typically appears in men as localized painless neck nodes that spare the mediastinum

Tests (7)

  • Diagnosis requires biopsy of a lymph node or the suspected involved organ
  • Needle biopsies often give non-specific results because malignant cells are sparse and tissue architecture is lost, so excisional biopsy is preferred when suspicion is high
  • Finding a Reed-Sternberg cell or an LP cell in the specimen confirms the diagnosis
  • Baseline labs include a complete blood count, metabolic panel, ESR, and hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV testing
  • LDH tracks disease bulk, and a raised alkaline phosphatase suggests liver or bone involvement
  • PET-CT is now the standard scan for judging treatment response
  • Chest x-ray and CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis assist with staging

If not this — what else fits (5)

  • Infectious mononucleosis is on the differential
  • Peripheral T cell lymphoma is on the differential
  • ALK1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma is on the differential
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is on the differential
  • Diffuse large B cell lymphoma is on the differential

SourceStatPearls "Hodgkin Lymphoma" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE)

1st line
Adult dose and duration

Treated with chemotherapy/radiotherapy by an oncology/haematology unit; the GP's role is prompt referral on suspicion (painless rubbery lymphadenopathy plus B symptoms) and symptomatic relief in the meantime. - Refer, with advice

Paediatric dose

Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied.

Dose source

No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Why

Treated with chemotherapy/radiotherapy by an oncology/haematology unit; the GP's role is prompt referral on suspicion (painless rubbery lymphadenopathy plus B symptoms) and symptomatic relief in the meantime.

Cautions
  • No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.
  • RED FLAG - A significant mediastinal mass can cause chest pain and shortness of breath from mass effect - a presentation distinct from simple painless lymphadenopathy that may need more urgent assessment.
  • RED FLAG - Fever, night sweats or unexplained weight loss (B symptoms), painless rapidly enlarging lymph nodes, a mediastinal mass causing cough or breathlessness, or persistent itching.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.