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Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
Source: Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 8, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
If your child has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, you may have questions about how serious the cancer is and your child's chances of survival. The likely outcome or course of a disease is called prognosis. The prognosis depends on:
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the stage of the cancer (the size of the cancer, including whether the cancer is a larger tumor mass called bulky disease, and whether the cancer has spread below the diaphragm or to more than one group of lymph nodes)
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whether there are B symptoms (fever for no known reason, weight loss for no known reason, or drenching night sweats) at diagnosis
the type of Hodgkin lymphoma
having more than the usual number of white blood cells or anemia at the time of diagnosis
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whether there is fluid around the heart or lungs at diagnosis
the sedimentation rate or the albumin level in the blood
the child's sex
whether the cancer is newly diagnosed or has recurred (come back)
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The treatment options also depend on:
whether there is a low, medium, or high risk the cancer will come back after treatment
the child's age
the risk of long-term side effects
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Most children and adolescents with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured.
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Your child's cancer care team is in the best position to talk with you about your child's prognosis.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice