Learn About Lymphoma Treatment Options And How To Proceed

(CTN News) – Those newly diagnosed with lymphomas, which are types of blood cancer, may initially wonder, “What can be done?”.

Although there have been significant advancements in the use of chemotherapy to combat the disease, Dr. Stephen Ansell, an expert at the Mayo Clinic, stated that there are now treatments that go beyond chemotherapy.

“Our goal is to improve outcomes while minimizing side effects, so we are developing treatments that can specifically target cancer and have less of an impact on the body’s normal, healthy cells,” Ansell said in a press release issued by Mayo Clinic.

“Most patients with lymphoma are cured,”

This is according to information provided by the researcher. A survivor may need to deal with long-term problems after being treated for a cancer diagnosis. This is possible after the patient has been treated. To achieve the greatest possible results, we strive to minimize any long-term issues that might arise as a result of achieving those results.

According to the American Cancer Society, each year there are approximately 80,620 cases of the most common type of lymphoma, which is known as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diagnosed among in the United States of America, and there are slightly more than 20,000 fatalities because of this disease.

It is more common for men to be affected by the condition than it is for women.

Each year, there are around 8,600 occurrences of Hodgkin lymphoma, which is the second biggest type of lymphoma, and it is responsible for the deaths of slightly more than 900 people. This type of cancer often manifests itself in young adults or adolescents; in fact, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), it is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 and 19.

According to Ansell, the common symptoms of lymphomas include swollen lymph nodes,

Itchy skin, night sweats, fever, chronic fatigue, unexplained weight loss, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include sweating during the night.

Regarding treatment, this may involve chemotherapy on its own or chemotherapy in conjunction with other treatments such as immunotherapies, targeted therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and radiation therapy. Additionally, chemotherapy may be used alone or in combination with other treatments.

For each of these non-chemo possibilities, Ansell provided a description:

Using immunotherapy. These methods involve the administration of medications that stimulate the immune system of the body to search for and eliminate lymphoma cells. The medications that fall under this category are known as immune-checkpoint therapy agents, and they are designed to strike cancer cells while sparing healthy cells from injury.

CAR-T treatments are being used. Specifically, “chimeric antigen receptor-T cell” therapy is what “CAR-T” stands for. In this method, the white cells of the patient’s immune system are first removed. These cells are then modified in a laboratory to develop specific cellular receptors that have the power to “activate T-cells’ ability to recognize and kill cancer cells” after they are re-infused into the patient.

medications that are meant to identify and then combat abnormalities within cancer cells are included in targeted therapies. These medications are supposed to do so without causing any harm to healthy cells.

A transplant of bone marrow. Stem cells are pumped into the body as part of this treatment method, which assists the patient’s bone marrow in starting up again to manufacture healthy blood cells.

Radioactivity. A high-powered energy source is utilized in this method to zap cancer cells. “For certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, radiation therapy may be the only treatment you need, particularly if your lymphoma is slow-growing and located in just one or two spots,” Ansell further said. “More commonly, radiation is used after chemotherapy to kill any lymphoma cells that might remain.”

However, according to Ansell, adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes maintaining a nutritious diet and engaging in physical activity, can help reduce the likelihood of developing lymphomas.