Treatments By Stage For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Treatments By Stage For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Early-stage, indolent, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (stages 1 and 2)

  • Localised radiotherapy alone is used to treat patients with early stage or indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is generally very successful.

Late-stage, indolent, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (stages 3 and 4)

  • At first many patient may be managed with a ‘watch and wait’ approach
  • After this they will receive a mixture of chemotherapy drugs as well as some radiotherapy.

Relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma

  • Additional chemotherapy is used to treat patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has recurred

Early-stage aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

  • Patients are treated with several courses of a mixture of chemotherapy drugs.
  • This limits the chance that patients will develop resistance to any of the drugs and also reduces the side effects.
  • This may be followed by radiotherapy directed at the affected lymph nodes.

Late-stage aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

  • Patients are also treated with several courses of chemotherapy drugs
  • Monoclonal antibody therapy, which targets cancer cells directly, may be used in combination with chemotherapy.

Relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

  • Additional high dose chemotherapy is used to treat patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma whose disease has returned even after having completed treatment.
  • Some patient may benefit from a stem cell transplant
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