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Overview
Lymphoma is a broad term used for a group of cancers that stem from the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system in the body. The lymphatic system transports white blood cells known as lymphocytes in lymph fluid through the lymph vessels and into lymph nodes where the lymph fluid is filtered and the white blood cells are stored to aid in the fight against infection and disease. Lymphomas are classified as either Hodgkin’s lymphoma or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (also abbreviated as NHL) is the most frequently occurring cancer of the lymphatic system.
Symptoms
Some of the most common signs and symptoms experienced that may be related to lymphoma are chills, swelling of lymph nodes (this may be painful or painless), fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, lack of energy, itching or skin rash, and pain in the chest, abdomen or bones for no known reason.
Diagnosis
If your doctor suspects you have lymphoma, he/she may perform the following tests and procedures to assist him/her in the diagnosis of your disease:
- A physical examination including checking general signs of health as well as signs of disease, looking for lumps, and other unusual signs and symptoms
- Ask for information about past illnesses and treatments as well as general health habits for you and your family
- Remove a sample of your blood to learn more about your red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, perform a liver function test, and check your blood chemistry—the patterns of the blood cells and the amounts of chemicals in the blood can help your doctor detect any abnormalities and make a diagnosis
- Perform a lymph node biopsy to remove all or a part of your lymph node tissue and examine the tissue cells to determine whether there are any signs of cancer
- Remove bone marrow, blood, and a tiny portion of bone from your hipbone to look for signs of cancer
Determining Treatment Options
If your doctor makes a diagnosis of lymphoma, the treatment selected will depend on the specific kind of lymphoma you have, how extensively the disease has traveled through your body, your health and age, and other factors that your doctor will take into consideration when deciding on the appropriate treatment for you.
Treatment Options
There are many treatment options for patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These include:
- Watch and wait—where a doctor closely monitors a patient’s condition without giving him or her any treatment. The results of exams and laboratory tests over time will help determine when and what type of treatment the patient should receive. During this time, side effects caused by the disease, such as infection, are treated with standard of care treatment and/or other procedures.
- Chemotherapy—uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
- Radiation therapy—uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
- Monoclonal antibody therapy—a treatment that uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell. These antibodies can identify substances present on cancer cells or normal substances in the body that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells, block their growth, and/or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by injection into a vein. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells.
- Bone marrow transplant (BMT)—a procedure that transplants healthy bone marrow into a patient whose bone marrow is not working properly.
- Peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT)—the use of strong chemotherapy drugs followed by a transplant to replace a patient’s stem cells.
- Combinations of therapies—such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy and chemotherapy, or immunotherapy and radiation therapy.
Biogen Idec Investigational Treatments
- Clinical trials—using investigational treatments may be discussed as a possible treatment option for some patients, depending on the specific requirements of the different trials and the patient’s cancer stage and disease status. Click here to learn more about clinical trials. About Clinical Trials
Currently, Biogen Idec is conducting clinical trials in this disease.
For more information, click here. To contact Biogen, click here.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Resources
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/
http://www.lymphoma.org/
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat203.html
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