Non-Hodgkins Lymphomas (cont.)
Treatment
Your doctor can describe your treatment choices and the expected results. You
and your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your
needs.
Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral.
Specialists who treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma include hematologists, medical
oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Your doctor may suggest that you choose
an oncologist who specializes in the treatment of lymphoma. Often, such doctors
are associated with major academic centers. Your health care team may also
include an oncology nurse and a registered dietitian.
The choice of treatment depends mainly on the following:
- The type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (for example, follicular lymphoma)
- Its stage (where the lymphoma is found)
- How quickly the cancer is growing (whether it is indolent or aggressive
lymphoma)
- Your age
- Whether you have other health problems
If you have indolent non-Hodgkin
lymphoma without symptoms, you may not need treatment for the cancer right away.
The doctor watches your health closely so that treatment can start when you
begin to have symptoms. Not getting cancer treatment right away is called
watchful waiting.
If you have indolent lymphoma with symptoms, you will probably receive
chemotherapy and biological therapy. Radiation therapy may be used for people
with Stage I or Stage II lymphoma.
If you have aggressive lymphoma, the treatment is usually chemotherapy and
biological therapy. Radiation therapy also may be used.
If non-Hodgkin lymphoma comes back after treatment, doctors call this a
relapse or recurrence. People with lymphoma that comes back after treatment may
receive high doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both, followed by stem
cell transplantation.
You may want to know about side effects and how treatment may change your
normal activities. Because chemotherapy and radiation therapy often damage
healthy cells and tissues, side effects are common. Side effects may not be the
same for each person, and they may change from one treatment session to the
next. Before treatment starts, your health care team will explain possible side
effects and suggest ways to help you manage them.
At any stage of the disease, you can have supportive care. Supportive care is
treatment to control pain and other symptoms, to relieve the side effects of
therapy, and to help you cope with the feelings that a diagnosis of cancer can
bring. See the Supportive Care section.
You may want to talk to your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial, a
research study of new treatment methods. See the Taking Part in Cancer Research
section.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before you begin
treatment:
- What type of lymphoma do I have? May I have a copy of the report from the pathologist?
- What is the stage of my disease? Where are the
tumors?
- What are my treatment choices? Which do you
recommend for me? Why?
- What are the expected benefits of each kind of
treatment? How will we know the treatment is working? What tests will be
used to check its effectiveness? How often will I get these tests?
- What are the
risks and possible side effects of
each treatment? What can we do to control the side effects?
- How long will treatment last?
- Will I have to stay in the hospital? If so, for how long?
- What can I do to take care of myself during
treatment?
- What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my
insurance cover this treatment?
- How will treatment affect my normal activities?
- Would a clinical trial
(research study) be appropriate for me?
- How often will I need checkups?
|
Watchful waiting
People who choose watchful waiting put off having cancer treatment until they
have symptoms. Doctors sometimes suggest watchful waiting for people with
indolent lymphoma. People with indolent lymphoma may not have problems that
require cancer treatment for a long time. Sometimes the tumor may even shrink
for a while without therapy. By putting off treatment, they can avoid the side
effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
If you and your doctor agree that watchful waiting is a good idea, the doctor
will check you regularly (every 3 months). You will receive treatment if
symptoms occur or get worse.
Some people do not choose watchful waiting because they don't want to worry
about having cancer that is not treated. Those who choose watchful waiting but
later become worried should discuss their feelings with the doctor.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before choosing watchful
waiting:
- If I choose watchful waiting, can I change my
mind later on?
- Will the disease be harder to treat later?
- How often will I have checkups?
- Between checkups, what
problems should I report?
|
Next: Chemotherapy »
Cancer RSS