Hodgkin's disease usually begins in the lymph nodes and spreads from node to node. The disease prevalence is highest among people in their mid-20s and in people 55 and older. More than 75 percent of people with Hodgkin's disease can be cured with radiation or chemotherapy or both. Men are affected more often than women, by a ratio of four to three.

There are four types of Hodgkin's disease: nodular sclerosis; lymphocyte predominant; mixed cellularity; and lymphocyte depleted. The nodular sclerosis form is the most common in the United States and Europe, accounting for 60 percent to 70 percent of adult cases, as well as most cases in young adults. Twenty to 30 percent of patients with Hodgkin's disease have the mixed cellularity form. They are usually older, have systemic symptoms and a less-favorable outcome. The lymphocyte predominant form has the best prognosis; if it is not cured with radiation therapy it follows an indolent, or slow-growing, course. The lymphocyte-depleted form is usually found in people with symptoms and advanced disease. Together, the lymphocyte predominance and lymphocyte depletion form make up 10 percent of Hodgkin's disease cases.

The peripheral and mediastinal (the area between the lungs, breastbone and spine) lymph nodes are the primary sites of Hodgkin's disease. The abdominal lymph nodes and spleen may also be affected, as well as the lymphoid components of the lung, liver and bone marrow. Because Hodgkin's disease tends to compress rather than invade, it usually does not impair the function of various organs. The disease can spread contiguously, through the lymphatic vessels, or hematogenously, which means the bone and bone marrow are involved.