Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the World Health
Organization classification

- Age 16-80

- Not previously treated

- Stage IIB to IVB or stage IIA with adverse prognostic factors (more than 3 nodal
sites, ESR > 50 mm, bulky lesion)

- Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients aged more than 80

- Concomitant or previously treated neoplastic disorder less than 5 years before the
diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma

- Psychiatric disorders

- Uncontrolled infectious disease

- Impaired cardiac (EF < 50%) or renal (creatinine clearance < 60 ml/m)function

- Pregnancy and lactation

- Uncompensated diabetes mellitus and fasting glucose levels over 200 mg/dl