Hodgkin lymphoma
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
Below are general statistics based on large groups of people. Remember, they can’t tell you what will happen in your individual case.
There are no UK wide statistics available for Hodgkin lymphoma survival by stage. Survival statistics are available for each stage of Hodgkin lymphoma in England. These figures are for people diagnosed between 2016 and 2020.
Around 95 out of 100 people (around 95%) will survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
90 out of 100 people (90%) will survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
More than 85 out of 100 people (more than 85%) will survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Almost 85 out of 100 people (almost 85%) will survive for 5 years or more after being diagnosed.
Read about the stages of Hodgkin lymphoma
The UK survival statistics come from England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have a similar population and health care system. So we can apply these survival statistics to the whole of the UK.
Generally for adults with Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK:
almost 95 out of every 100 (almost 95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
almost 90 out of every 100 (almost 90%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
more than 80 out of every 100 (more than 80%) survive their cancer for 10 years or more
Several factors can affect your outlook (prognosis). These are called prognostic factors.
These factors include where Hodgkin lymphoma is in your body (the stage). And if you had certain symptoms (B symptoms) when you were diagnosed. B symptoms are:
unexpected weight loss in the past 6 months
heavy sweating at night
high temperatures
Your type of Hodgkin lymphoma can also affect your prognosis. This is how the lymphoma cells look under a microscope.
Read about the types of Hodgkin lymphoma
Your general health and fitness also affect your survival. The fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with treatment. Your doctor will consider your general health when choosing treatment.
Doctors use tools to predict your outlook.
With early stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, doctors often group people into a ‘favourable’ or ‘unfavourable’ group. To do this they consider:
your age
how big your lymph nodes (or tumours) are
where Hodgkin lymphoma is in your body
your blood test results
your symptoms
Early stage unfavourable Hodgkin lymphoma is also called intermediate stage.
For advanced stages, doctors often use a scale called the international prognostic score (IPS). It has 7 prognostic factors that doctors can use to predict how you might respond to treatment. The 7 factors are:
being male
being 45 years or older
having stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma
having a low red blood cell () level
having a low protein () level in your blood
having a high level
having a low blood lymphocyte level. are a type of white blood cell
You score one point for each factor. So your score is between 0 and 7. The IPS score helps doctors to decide your treatment and prognosis.
Read more about treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma
Read more about understanding cancer statistics and incidence, mortality and survival statistics.
For more in depth information about survival and other statistics for Hodgkin lymphoma, go to our Cancer Statistics section.
Last reviewed: 16 Jul 2024
Next review due: 16 Jul 2027
Coping with Hodgkin lymphoma can be difficult. There are things you can do and people who can help you and your family to cope with a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.
The stage shows whether the lymphoma is in one area of your body (localised) or has spread to other areas. There are 4 stages for Hodgkin lymphoma.
The two types of Hodgkin lymphoma are classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). There are also subtypes. Knowing the type helps your doctor choose the right treatment.
The main treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatment you have depends on a number of things such as the type and stage of Hodgkin lymphoma and your general health.
All cancer treatments must be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we know that they work, are better than the treatments already available, and are safe. Current research is looking at ways to improve the diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. Find out more about the tests, treatments and support available if you have Hodgkin lymphoma.
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