Hodgkin lymphoma looks straightforward under the microscope, but the statistics reveal a far more complicated map of disease biology and outcomes. For example, nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma makes up about 15% of cases, while CD15 and FOXP3 positive regulatory T cells appear in characteristic patterns across classical subtypes and their tumor microenvironments. Even survival and treatment results hinge on details like interim PET and pathway biology, from EBV positivity to JAK STAT alterations, and those shifts help explain why remission rates vary so sharply across therapies.
Key Takeaways
- 15% of Hodgkin lymphoma cases are nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL)
- CD15 is expressed in a majority of classical Hodgkin lymphoma cases as assessed by immunohistochemistry
- FOXP3 expression is reported in tumor microenvironment analyses of Hodgkin lymphoma, with FOXP3+ regulatory T cells commonly enriched in affected tissue
- Roughly 70–80% of patients with early-stage favorable classical Hodgkin lymphoma receive ABVD or abbreviated variants per historical guideline-based approaches
- PD-1 inhibitors (nivolumab and pembrolizumab) are recommended options for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after prior therapies in clinical guidelines
- Interim PET is used after 2 cycles of chemotherapy in many early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma risk-adapted trial designs
- In the same pembrolizumab trial, 17% of patients achieved a complete response (CR) in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma
- In the nivolumab study for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 8% of patients achieved CR
- In relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated activity in both transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible settings in clinical trials
- $9,000 average out-of-pocket medical costs per year for people with cancer in the United States were reported in a population-based study
- In a 2018 analysis, 19% of privately insured patients reported cost-related medication nonadherence for cancer drugs
- In 2022, the average commercial cancer-drug cost-sharing burden was reported as high in claims-based analyses, with substantial variation by plan and therapy
- In 2017, classical Hodgkin lymphoma was responsible for a large share of Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses in incidence datasets summarized by IARC
- GLOBOCAN fact sheet reports Hodgkin lymphoma deaths globally for the latest available year in that dataset
- 0.2 per 100,000 age-standardized rate is the 2020 global mortality of Hodgkin lymphoma (all ages, both sexes), expressed as an estimate in GLOBOCAN 2020
Early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma is highly curable, while advanced and relapsed disease increasingly uses PD-1 and brentuximab.
Related reading
01 · Category
Disease Biology7 stats
01
15% of Hodgkin lymphoma cases are nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL)[1]
02
CD15 is expressed in a majority of classical Hodgkin lymphoma cases as assessed by immunohistochemistry[2]
03
FOXP3 expression is reported in tumor microenvironment analyses of Hodgkin lymphoma, with FOXP3+ regulatory T cells commonly enriched in affected tissue[3]
04
EBV is associated with a subset of classical Hodgkin lymphoma cases, with EBV positivity reported in multiple population-based series[2]
05
The JAK/STAT signaling pathway is implicated in classical Hodgkin lymphoma via recurrent alterations in pathway components reported across molecular studies[4]
06
Mutations in the B2M gene can contribute to immune evasion mechanisms in Hodgkin lymphoma as shown in genomic profiling studies[2]
07
Rearrangements involving immunoglobulin loci and gene expression signatures reflecting B-cell program activity have been reported in NLPHL[5]
Interpretation
Disease Biology Interpretation
From a Disease Biology perspective, Hodgkin lymphoma shows a patterned biology rather than a single cause, with 15% of cases being nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple, well-documented immune signaling and immune evasion features such as widespread CD15 expression and JAK and STAT pathway alterations.
02 · Category
Treatment Patterns5 stats
01
Roughly 70–80% of patients with early-stage favorable classical Hodgkin lymphoma receive ABVD or abbreviated variants per historical guideline-based approaches[2]
02
PD-1 inhibitors (nivolumab and pembrolizumab) are recommended options for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after prior therapies in clinical guidelines[6]
03
Interim PET is used after 2 cycles of chemotherapy in many early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma risk-adapted trial designs[2]
04
Radiotherapy is omitted for many patients in de-escalation protocols when interim PET indicates low risk[2]
05
The FDA approved brentuximab vedotin for classical Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplant or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens[7]
Interpretation
Treatment Patterns Interpretation
In treatment patterns for Hodgkin lymphoma, about 70 to 80 percent of early-stage favorable patients are managed with ABVD based on guideline approaches, and a growing reliance on newer strategy driven tools such as PET guided de escalation and PD 1 or brentuximab therapies is shaping care for patients with higher risk or relapsed disease.
03 · Category
Clinical Outcomes8 stats
01
In the same pembrolizumab trial, 17% of patients achieved a complete response (CR) in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma[8]
02
In the nivolumab study for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 8% of patients achieved CR[8]
03
In relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated activity in both transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible settings in clinical trials[8]
04
In a phase 3 study in newly diagnosed advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, chemotherapy plus brentuximab vedotin improved modified progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy alone[8]
05
In the ECHELON-1 trial, overall survival at 5 years was 92.1% for brentuximab vedotin plus AVD vs 90.8% for AVD alone[9]
06
In KEYNOTE-204, the CR rate to pembrolizumab was 21% among relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients[2]
07
In patients with early-stage favorable classical Hodgkin lymphoma, combined-modality therapy typically yields cure rates exceeding 90% in contemporary trials and reviews[8]
08
In salvage therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation, durable remissions are achieved in a substantial proportion of relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma patients (reported in transplant outcome series)[2]
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Across these clinical outcomes, immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy are delivering meaningful complete response rates, with CR reaching 17% on pembrolizumab, 8% on nivolumab, and 21% on pembrolizumab in relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma while adding brentuximab vedotin to frontline therapy improves longer-term results such as 5 year overall survival of 92.1% versus 90.8% with AVD alone.
04 · Category
Cost And Access9 stats
01
$9,000 average out-of-pocket medical costs per year for people with cancer in the United States were reported in a population-based study[10]
02
In a 2018 analysis, 19% of privately insured patients reported cost-related medication nonadherence for cancer drugs[10]
03
In 2022, the average commercial cancer-drug cost-sharing burden was reported as high in claims-based analyses, with substantial variation by plan and therapy[11]
04
In a 2020 study, 25% of patients reported financial hardship related to cancer, which can affect treatment access and adherence for Hodgkin lymphoma patients[2]
05
In a 2021 review, out-of-pocket costs for cancer patients commonly exceed $1,000 annually for many individuals, with higher costs for branded specialty drugs[12]
06
The U.S. 340B Drug Pricing Program can reduce drug acquisition costs for eligible safety-net providers by allowing covered entities to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted prices[13]
07
The rate of prior authorization for oncology drugs has been reported to affect treatment timelines; one survey found 43% of oncology prior authorizations were required within 24 hours of initiation[2]
08
In a U.S. study, 39% of cancer patients delayed or skipped care due to cost barriers[2]
09
In a real-world U.S. cohort study, time to treatment initiation after diagnosis for lymphoma can exceed 30 days in a subset of patients due to system factors[2]
Interpretation
Cost And Access Interpretation
Across cost and access barriers, nearly 39% of U.S. cancer patients delay or skip care because of costs and out-of-pocket spending commonly exceeds $1,000 per year, while oncology prior authorizations can also slow treatment timing, with 43% requiring approval within 24 hours.
05 · Category
Global Burden2 stats
Interpretation
Global Burden Interpretation
From the Global Burden perspective, classical Hodgkin lymphoma formed a large share of Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses in IARC incidence summaries in 2017, and GLOBOCAN further reports Hodgkin lymphoma deaths worldwide for the latest available year, underscoring that both incidence and mortality remain significant on a global scale.
06 · Category
Epidemiology2 stats
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
From an epidemiology perspective, Hodgkin lymphoma shows a very low burden globally with a 2020 age standardized mortality rate of 0.2 per 100,000, while the United States has a higher though still uncommon age adjusted incidence of 1.1 per 100,000 based on 2018 to 2022 data.
More related reading
07 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
In U.S. surveillance data, the 5-year net survival for Hodgkin lymphoma patients was 87.9% for diagnoses in 2013–2017 (relative survival estimate reported by SEER)[15]
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, Hodgkin lymphoma patients in the US show a high 5-year net survival of 87.9% for diagnoses from 2013 to 2017, suggesting that while treatment costs may be substantial, most patients are maintaining long-term outcomes rather than incurring the higher costs associated with poor survival.
08 · Category
Treatment Outcomes1 stats
01
The 5-year event-free survival reported for brentuximab vedotin plus AVD (ECHELON-1) was 82.6% in the primary analysis timepoint (as reported in the study publication PDF)[8]
Interpretation
Treatment Outcomes Interpretation
For Treatment Outcomes, the ECHELON-1 trial found that brentuximab vedotin plus AVD delivered strong long term control with a 5-year event free survival rate of 82.6%, indicating sustained effectiveness in keeping patients free from disease events.
09 · Category
Risk Stratification5 stats
01
The International Prognostic Score (IPS) assigns 0–7 points and is used to risk-stratify advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma; it is defined based on 7 clinical factors in the IPS[16]
02
A Deauville score of 4–5 is interpreted as positive for active disease on interim PET in risk-adapted Hodgkin lymphoma trial protocols using the Deauville criteria[17]
03
Bulky disease is commonly defined as a mediastinal mass ratio >0.33 or a single lesion ≥10 cm in contemporary Hodgkin lymphoma response-adaptation protocols (definition used in major cooperative-group trials)[5]
04
In the German Hodgkin Study Group HD16 trial risk model for early-stage disease, interim PET positivity stratifies patients into higher- and lower-risk groups after 2 cycles[18]
05
A total of 14% of patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma are classified as having high-risk features in commonly used risk-adapted trial frameworks (as reported in trial reporting of baseline risk distribution)[19]
Interpretation
Risk Stratification Interpretation
Across risk stratification approaches in Hodgkin lymphoma, interim imaging and clinical scoring meaningfully separate patients, since 14% of early stage cases are flagged as high risk while interim PET positivity using a Deauville score of 4 to 5 after 2 cycles in frameworks like HD16 helps split patients into higher versus lower risk groups.
10 · Category
Survivorship & Support4 stats
01
Radiation therapy in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors is associated with increased risk of second malignancies; one large population-based study quantified standardized incidence ratios for subsequent cancers among those receiving radiotherapy[20]
02
Fertility preservation before therapy is relevant: a multicenter review reports that up to 50% of patients receiving alkylating-agent-containing regimens develop treatment-related gonadal dysfunction (fertility outcomes in lymphoma cohorts that include Hodgkin lymphoma)[21]
03
Cardiovascular complications are a known survivorship risk: a systematic review reports that the excess risk of cardiovascular disease among Hodgkin lymphoma survivors treated with mediastinal radiotherapy is measurable decades after diagnosis (quantified excess relative risk in the review)[22]
04
Psychological distress is common: a meta-analysis of cancer survivors (including Hodgkin lymphoma studies) reports a pooled prevalence of clinically significant anxiety around 20%[3]
Interpretation
Survivorship & Support Interpretation
Hodgkin lymphoma survivorship requires long-term support because survivors face measurable late effects, including second cancers after radiotherapy, fertility or gonadal dysfunction in up to 50% of patients receiving alkylating-agent regimens, and sustained cardiovascular risk decades later, while psychological distress remains common with clinically significant anxiety reported at about 20% in pooled cancer-survivor data.
11 · Category
Safety & Adverse Events1 stats
01
0.4% of patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors experienced myocarditis in a safety pooled analysis (a risk quantified for ICI therapies that include nivolumab and pembrolizumab)[8]
Interpretation
Safety & Adverse Events Interpretation
In the Safety & Adverse Events category, myocarditis occurred in 0.4% of patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors in a pooled safety analysis, indicating that while it is a rare risk, it is an important adverse event to monitor for ICI therapies.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Hodgkins Lymphoma Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hodgkins-lymphoma-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Hodgkins Lymphoma Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hodgkins-lymphoma-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Hodgkins Lymphoma Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hodgkins-lymphoma-statistics.
Sources & references
22 sources cited across this report
cancer.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
frontiersin.org
nature.com
ashpublications.org
nccn.org
accessdata.fda.gov
nejm.org
ascopubs.org
jamanetwork.com
healthaffairs.org
cdc.gov
hrsa.gov
gco.iarc.fr
jnccn.org
- snmmi.org
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
fertstert.org
sciencedirect.com