Non-Hodgkins Lymphomas (cont.)
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
for lymphoma uses drugs to kill lymphoma cells. It is called systemic therapy
because the drugs travel through the bloodstream. The drugs can reach lymphoma
cells in almost all parts of the body.
You may receive chemotherapy by mouth, through a vein, or in the space
around the spinal cord. Treatment is usually in an outpatient part of the
hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. Some people need to stay in
the hospital during treatment.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles. You have a treatment period followed by
a rest period. The length of the rest period and the number of treatment
cycles depend on the stage of your disease and on the anticancer drugs used.
If you have lymphoma in the stomach caused by H. pylori infection, your
doctor may treat this lymphoma with antibiotics. After the drug cures the
infection, the lymphoma also may go away.
The side effects depend mainly on which drugs are given and how much. The
drugs can harm normal cells that divide rapidly:
- Blood cells: When chemotherapy lowers your levels of healthy blood cells,
you are more likely to get infections, bruise or bleed easily, and feel very
weak and tired. Your health care team gives you blood tests to check for low
levels of blood cells. If levels are low, there are medicines that can help
your body make new blood cells.
- Cells in hair roots: Chemotherapy may cause hair loss. If you lose your
hair, it will grow back, but it may be somewhat different in color and
texture.
- Cells that line the digestive tract: Chemotherapy can cause poor
appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, trouble swallowing, or mouth and
lip sores. Ask your health care team about medicines or other treatments
that help with these problems.
The drugs used for non-Hodgkin lymphoma also
may cause skin rashes or blisters, and headaches or other aches. Your skin
may become darker. Your nails may develop ridges or dark bands.
Your doctor can suggest ways to control many of these side effects.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having chemotherapy:
- Which drug or drugs will I have? What are the expected benefits?
- When will treatment start? When will it end? How often will I have treatments?
- Where will I go for treatment? Will I be able to drive home afterward?
- What can I do to take care of myself during treatment?
- How will we know the treatment is working?
- What side effects should I tell you about? Can I prevent or treat any of these side effects?
- Will there be lasting side effects?
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