Treatment of lymphoma
Biologic Therapy
This treatment increases the body's
natural ability to fight cancer. It does this by giving a boost to the immune
system. The types of biologic therapy:
- Monoclonal Antibodies: These are
drugs like Rituxan®, which directly target lymphoma cells and do not harm
normal cells.
- Radioimmuno therapy: These are therapies
like Rituxan®, which have a radioisotope attached to them.
- Interleukin 2: This is a medicine
that activates the immune system so that it can kill cancer cells.
- Vaccines: These are treatments that
help the body protect itself against the lymphoma.
Chemotherapy
This treatment uses drugs to kill
cancer cells and reduce the size of cancer tumors. There are many types of
chemotherapy drugs. Many drugs are often used together for chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy
This treatment uses radiation (high
energy x-rays) to kill cancer cells.The treatment often only takes place in the
part of your body where the lymphoma is located.
Transplants
Sometimes high doses of chemotherapy
destroy the lymphoma cells and your bone marrow, which is the
"factory" for blood cells. To help the bone marrow make new healthy
blood cells, some stem cells (immature cells that will grow up into red blood
cells, white blood cells, and platelets) may be taken with a special machine
before chemotherapy is given.
These cells are then transplanted
into the body. These transplanted cells will then find their way to the bone
marrow and restore it, so that it can build healthy new blood cells.
There are two types of transplants:
1) Autologous transplants which uses your own bone marrow or stem cells.
2) Allogeneic transplants which uses bone marrow or stem cells from a donor.
1) Autologous transplants which uses your own bone marrow or stem cells.
2) Allogeneic transplants which uses bone marrow or stem cells from a donor.
Watchful Waiting
This means that the patient does
not have to get any active treatment now. But, he may need to get treatments
later.
Clinical Trials
These are research studies that
help doctors learn more about lymphoma treatment. They can also help people
with cancer, because it allows them to receive the treatment. Often, clinical
trials are the only way patients can receive new treatments, which are not
otherwise available.
Clinical trials can help doctors
learn about many ways to help their patients like:
- New types of treatments.
- Ways to prevent cancer.
While clinical trials can provide
many benefits, they can also be harmful for some patients. The patient should
speak with his doctor, nurse, or health care team about clinical trials.