Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most frequent lymphomas in the Western world, representing 20-30% of all malignant lymphomas. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is frequently associated with HL; nevertheless, the role in the pathogenesis of HL remains unclear.
The present prospective study aims to evaluate the possible use of serial free plasma EBV-DNA as a noninvasive biomarker for monitoring disease activity and response to treatment. Between June 2006 and February 2009, we enrolled 150 adult patients (79 women and 71 men) with newly diagnosed HL.