Strategies in the treatment of adult Hodgkin's disease (HD) are changing strikingly in current clinical trials. In early as well as in intermediate stage HD a common aim of most study groups now is the reduction of radiation dose and volume in order to minimize severe late effects like myocardial damage and secondary neoplasias. As a consequence extended field irradiation is abandoned in nearly all trials, and combined modality treatment will be used not only in intermediate, but also in early stage HD. In advanced stage HD new chemotherapy regimens, based on the principle of a moderate dose escalation, for the first time seem to improve the therapeutic outcome. Thus, the priority in current clinical trials for advanced stage HD is the long-term evaluation of these new regimens with regard to treatment efficacy and toxicity.