Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune defense. The American Cancer Society estimates about 8,920 new cases in the United States in 2026. 

Since the mid-2000s, new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma have been falling slowly, by roughly 1% per year. 

Even so, researchers still need to understand why some patients relapse and how to lower the long-term side effects of treatment. Well-characterized Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Samples support this work.

At Bay Biosciences, we understand this need and provide high-quality human biospecimens that support lymphoma research. 

These include Hodgkin Lymphoma Biospecimens, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Tissue Samples, Hodgkin Lymphoma Tumor Samples, and other Hematologic Cancer Samples.

Understanding Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Hodgkin’s lymphoma starts in B cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. It is defined by large abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells, which sit inside a mix of immune cells and inflammation. 

These cancer cells often make up only a small part of the tumor, so the surrounding tissue matters a great deal for research.

There are two main types. 

Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma Samples come from the most common type, which accounts for about 95% of cases. It has four subtypes: nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte-rich, and lymphocyte-depleted. 

The rarer type is nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. 

It is important to highlight that Hodgkin’s lymphoma differs from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and from leukemia.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Samples

Symptoms of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The most common sign is a painless lump caused by swollen lymph nodes, often in the neck, armpit, or groin.

Other symptoms include:

However, these symptoms can also appear in many other conditions, including a harmless reactive lymph node. Doctors need a tissue biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

In most patients, doctors cannot find a single clear cause. Still, several factors raise the risk. Having a risk factor does not mean a person will get the disease, and some patients have none of them. 

Hodgkin’s lymphoma has a bimodal age pattern, with one peak in young adults and a second peak around age 50. The disease is also more common in men than in women.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a major factor. The virus is found inside the Reed-Sternberg cells in about 30 to 40% of classical cases. Scientists think EBV can act as a “transforming agent” that pushes healthy lymphocytes to become cancerous. 

Moreover, a weakened immune system, such as from HIV or organ transplant medicines, also raises the risk. 

Autoimmune conditions have been linked to the disease as well. A Children’s Oncology Group study found that a family history of autoimmune and allergic conditions was linked to childhood Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the link differed by tumor EBV status. Researchers study these links using lymphoma research samples and a wider view of how the immune system works.

Moreover, genetics and family history matter too. A brother or sister with Hodgkin’s lymphoma raises a person’s risk, as does an identical twin with the disease, although most patients have no family history. 

A 2026 review of familial Hodgkin lymphoma explains that families with several cases point to a genetic predisposition, especially in young-onset disease.

Researchers also study lifestyle and environmental factors, such as smoking, though their roles are still under investigation.

Diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

A biopsy is the main way to diagnose the disease. A fine needle sample is often not enough, so doctors take a core-needle or lymph node biopsy. 

The biopsy is then examined for Reed-Sternberg cells, which typically carry the CD30 and CD15 markers.

Staging uses CT scans and PET scans to see how far the lymphoma has spread. 

Doctors also order blood tests, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and may take a bone marrow aspirate in some cases.

Treatment of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Treatment depends largely on the stage of the disease, but it usually starts with chemotherapy. 

In the United States, ABVD is the most commonly used regimen for advanced disease. It combines doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine. For some patients with early-stage disease, doctors also add radiation therapy after chemotherapy. 

Newer regimens replace bleomycin with brentuximab vedotin, a drug that targets the CD30 protein on Hodgkin cells. In the ECHELON-1 trial, this swap raised 3-year progression-free survival from 76.0% to 83.1%. A later trial, SWOG S1826, went a step further. Adding the immunotherapy drug nivolumab to the AVD regimen led to 2-year progression-free survival of 92%, compared with 83% for the brentuximab regimen.

Even with these advances, the lymphoma sometimes returns. When it does, doctors usually start with salvage chemotherapy. 

Patients who respond then receive high-dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant, which can cure about half of relapsed patients. 

A donor (allogeneic) transplant can also be curative in some patients with relapsed disease.

If the lymphoma comes back after a transplant, or a transplant is not an option, PD-1 inhibitors such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab are effective options because they produce high response rates and durable remissions. 

The FDA approved pembrolizumab for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. In the KEYNOTE-204 trial, it kept the disease under control longer than brentuximab vedotin, with a median of 13.2 months versus 8.3 months.

PD-1 inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy called checkpoint inhibitors. They block the PD-1 pathway that Hodgkin cells use to switch off T cells, so the immune system can attack the cancer.

Taken together, these treatments work well. About 80 to 90% of patients can be cured with first-line treatment, and more than 90% of those with early-stage disease. 

The research focus is therefore on reducing long-term side effects, such as second cancers and heart disease, and on treating relapse.

Applications of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Samples for Research

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Tissue Samples let researchers study the Reed-Sternberg cells and the immune cells around them. 

Scientists use these samples to examine how the cancer avoids immune attack, including the role of PD-L1, a protein that helps tumor cells hide from immune cells. 

Matched Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Blood Samples add information that tissue alone cannot give.

Researchers also use Human Tumor Tissue Samples and Human Cancer Tissue Samples to compare Hodgkin’s lymphoma with other cancers. Serum, plasma, and PBMC samples help them look for biomarkers that predict who will relapse. 

Together, these resources support Translational Oncology Research and Oncology Drug Development.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Samples used for?

Researchers use them to study tumor biology, classify subtypes, and identify biomarkers. They also support drug discovery, diagnostics development, and translational research.

Can researchers compare Hodgkin’s lymphoma samples with healthy controls?

Yes. Researchers can compare disease samples with normal healthy donor samples to find differences in biomarkers.

Are Bay Biosciences’ human biospecimens ethically sourced?

Yes. We collect all human samples through appropriate consent and IRB-approved protocols.

Supporting Your Research with Bay Biosciences

At Bay Biosciences, we provide human biospecimens to pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology organizations, academic institutions, and diagnostic developers. 

Our comprehensive range of samples includes:

If you have any questions, concerns, or special requests, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Our team is always happy to help.