During the past two decades, new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's disease have contributed to improved rates of survival and probable cure. Currently, patients with Hodgkin's disease are treated according to the stage and symptoms of their disease. The degree of certainty necessary for determining stage depends on the potential effectiveness of the therapeutic options available in a given case. Certain cases have been identified where treatment with a single modality has been disappointing, and the use of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be considered for these. Such decisions can be made only by evaluating the effectiveness of salvage after relapse following single-modality treatment and assessing the added hazards of initial treatment with both modalities.