Most patients who present with Hodgkin's disease today can be cured of their disease. Current treatments strive to maintain a high level of efficacy while reducing the chance of long-term side effects that limit the quality and length of survival. Epidemiologic and sophisticated molecular techniques continue to add to our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease. However, the heterogeneity and paucity of "malignant" cells in Hodgkin's disease continue to limit our ability to articulate a coherent and encompassing model of this disease.