Treatment
Cancer treatment may be different for each person. It depends on your particular cancer. Your treatment may be different from what is listed here.
Treatment for lymphomas depends on grade, type, and stage. Your age, health, and other concerns are also part of planning treatment.
Almost all people with lymphoma can be helped with proper treatment. About 50% (half) can be cured. About 50% can have their disease made better for periods of time, from several months to many years.
You may be offered new treatments or clinical trials that are not listed here.
Some situations or lymphoma in certain areas of the body may affect treatment planning. For example:
- Lymphoma related to a previous or existing infection, such as AIDS, HTLV-1, or hepatitis B or C.
- Lymphoma in certain parts of the body: GI tract, testes, central nervous system (brain, spinal cord), eye, paranasal sinus, or skin.
- Lymphomas related to organ transplant.
- Discordant histology lymphomas (more than one kind of lymphoma at the same time).
In the cases above, you may need extra tests and your treatment may be different than described below.
Observation
- For some slow growing, indolent lymphomas, you do not need treatment right away.
Systemic therapy (chemotherapy)
- Many different drugs are used to treat lymphoma.
- A combination of different drugs, along with radiation therapy, can have excellent results.
- You may get immunotherapy drugs called monoclonal antibodies. This is sometimes called biological therapy.
- BC Cancer Systemic Therapy (chemotherapy)
Radiation therapy (high energy x-rays that kill or shrink cancer cells)
- Used to treat early stage follicular lymphomas. Often has excellent results.
- Used to treat stages 1 and 2 diffuse lymphomas, along with radiation therapy.
- You may need radiation therapy after systemic therapy, depending on the results of your imaging scans, like CT and PET.
- BC Cancer Radiation Therapy
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)
After treatment for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a few people develop side effects much later in life. There are things you can do to help with these side effects. Talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about any side effects or concerns.
Side effects you may have:
- Dental problems such as a dry mouth or cavities. This is more common after radiation therapy to the head area. Looking after your teeth can prevent serious problems.
- Infertility, early menopause, and other related problems.
- Other cancers.
- Thyroid problems, especially if you had radiation therapy to the throat area. The symptoms may not seem related to the cancer but they can be treated. For more information on hypothyroidism go to: