Diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma introduce a new routine, and the habitual life of the young adult is interrupted because the treatment imposes on patients withdrawing from their environment, their productive activities, their relatives and their daily life. The aim of the present study was to understand the experience of the young adult carrier of Hodgkin's lymphoma in the face of treatment. This is a qualitative study; subjects were patients diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at a reference hospital in northeastern Brazil. Inclusion criteria were being undergoing treatment or follow-up of Hodgkin's lymphoma, and aged 18 to 35 years. The information was collected through an interview at the home of each subject in the period from August and September 2015. The interviews were recorded, transcribed in full and analyzed through thematic analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. The subjects went through a rather individual pathway to discover the disease. After reading the interviews, the following category emerged: Impact and changes in life with cancer. They feel the impact of cancer and of the process of illness and treatment that promote physical and social changes. They reveal the coping of the disease with liveliness, and present strategies for this process, such as the support of family and friends. They recognize the existence of difficult moments and face situations of death, but they show intention to return to their daily activities and have perspectives for cure.