Lymphoma Cancer Center

Lymphoma is a general term for cancers of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is an important part of the body’s immune system. Lymphoma first starts from errors that occur in the DNA of lymphocytes (a subset of white blood cells responsible for immunity and fighting infections).

Types of Lymphoma

There are two basic categories of lymphoma:  Hodgkin’s lymphoma (also called Hodgkin’s disease) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The difference between these is in the specific lymphocytes involved. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is marked by the presence of an abnormal lymphocyte called the Reed-Sternberg cell (or B lymphocyte). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) includes all other types of lymphoma, and will be discussed in this section.

NHL is the fifth most common cancer in males and females in the United States. There are more than 30 different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including aggressive (fast-growing) or indolent (slow-growing) types.

Lymphoma Risk Factors

Herbicides and insecticides have been linked to risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in studies of farmers, pesticide applicators, and other occupational groups exposed to high levels of these chemicals. Having certain types of infections, such as Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), can also increase the risk of developing lymphoma. NHL is 60 times more common among HIV-positive patients than in the general U.S. population. In addition, some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), have been linked to an increased risk of NHL.

Lymphoma Treatment

Treatment for lymphoma depends on the type and stage of the disease, the size, number, and location of the affected lymph nodes, as well as your age, general health, and other factors. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) provides a variety of innovative lymphoma treatment options that offer new hope and a greater quality of life.

At CTCA, we use many tools to help you fight lymphoma on all fronts. Our cancer experts provide a powerful combination of traditional and new, innovative therapies. Your CTCA care team will work with you to develop a lymphoma treatment plan that is tailored to your needs. Your personalized treatment plan may include various forms of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Additional lymphoma treatment options may include:

• Autologous Stem Cell Transplant allows for a more aggressive treatment of certain cancers, including lymphoma. In an autologous stem cell transplant, you are your own donor. Stem cells from your bone marrow or peripheral blood are taken from you (harvested), frozen until needed, then given back to you (transplanted) after you have received high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to destroy the cancer cells.
  
• Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant uses stem cells from a matching donor. In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, your stem cells are replaced with new, healthy stem cells from another person’s bone marrow or peripheral blood. Traditionally, most of the allogeneic stem cell transplants have been performed using stem cells collected from the bone marrow. However, the use of peripheral blood stem cells is rapidly increasing.

Quality of Life Therapies

As your care team at CTCA helps you fight lymphoma, we’ll enrich your treatment by offering complementary medicine therapies, such as naturopathic medicine, nutrition therapy, mind-body medicine, oncology rehabilitation, and spiritual counseling. These therapies may help reduce side effects and improve your quality of life throughout lymphoma treatment. At CTCA, you receive integrated, patient-centered cancer care for the whole person, not just the disease.

Next Topic: Conventional Treatments for Lymphoma