Rituxan^®

Rituxan^® is an immunotherapy often used in combination with other cancer medications to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Immunotherapy works by using your own immune system to fight cancer. With Rituxan^® treatment, CD20-positive B-cells, the cells shown to play a role in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, are specifically targeted and destroyed. A respected therapy that has been in use for over 10 years, Rituxan^® has been administered as a B-cell therapy for thousands of cancer patients.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your team of cancer specialists will work together with you to develop and implement a personalized cancer treatment plan. As part of our whole-patient approach, we utilize a range of traditional and new, innovative treatment options to find the best combination of therapies as part of your plan.

Chat now with an Oncology Information Specialist to learn more about our integrative approach to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment.

Some patients undergoing Rituxan^® treatment have experience a reaction to infusion when received by injection. Your cancer doctors should be notified immediately if you feel weak, light-headed, dizzy, itchy, or if you experience a shortness or loss of breath, pain in your chest or shoulders, muscle pain, sore throat, fever, chills or sneezing.

You should also notify your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects of Rituxan^®:

• Rapid numbness or weakness, particularly on one side of the body
• Dizziness, confusion, blurred vision, loss of balance, difficulty walking or speaking
• Chest pain or heavy feeling
• Pain in the arm or shoulder
• Nausea or stomach pain
• Uneven heartbeats
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing
• Dark urine
• Urinating more or less than usual
• Fever, chills, and flu symptoms
• Loss of appetite
• Body aches
• Increased coughing
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Skin rash (red, raised, blistering, scaly, itchy, or peeling skin)
• Severe constipation or stomach pain
• Black, bloody, or tarry stools
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

Patients may also experience the following less serious side effects of Rituxan^®:

• Pain near the area of where the IV needle was placed
• Headache or back pain
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Mild stomach pain, nausea, or diarrhea
• Muscle or joint pain
• Swelling in your hands or feet
• Night sweats

It is important to note that these are not all of the side effects associated with Rituxan^® treatment.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), our individualized approach to healing will ensure that you are well-informed, involved in and comfortable with all decisions made regarding your cancer treatment. Offering treatment and care in one location allows your team of cancer specialists at CTCA to work closely with each other and you to determine the best approach for you.

Rituxan^® is indicated for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rituxan^® is approved for first-line treatment, as well as for treatment of patients with relapse or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Specifically, Rituxan^® is indicated for the following:

• Patients with relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• In combination with CVP chemotherapy, Rituxan^® is indicated for first-line treatment of patients with follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Treatment of patients who experience response with first-line treatment in combination with CVP chemotherapy, or in stable patients with low-grade, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• In combination with CHOP, or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy, Rituxan^® is indicated for first-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell, CD20-positive, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your surgical, radiation and medical oncologists will work together to develop a personalized plan for your cancer treatment, and will additionally collaborate with nutritionists/dietitians, physical therapists, naturopaths, mind-body therapists and spiritual support staff to fight cancer on all fronts.

Chat now with an Oncology Information Specialist to explore our individualized approach to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment.