Lymphoma Cancer Treatments – Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal Antibodies for Lymphoma

Your care team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) may recommend monoclonal antibodies as a lymphoma cancer treatment option.

Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies (proteins) that can locate and bind to specific substances (antigens) on cancerous cells. While the body's immune system naturally produces antibodies, when produced in the lab and used in cancer treatment, monoclonal antibodies are considered a form of passive biotherapy/immunotherapy.

Monoclonal antibodies can be programmed to make cancer cells more visible to the immune system and to block cancer cells' growth signals. Monoclonal antibodies may be used alone to treat lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies may also be attached to other substances, such as chemotherapy drugs, to help increase the drugs' targeting abilities to fight lymphoma.

For example, CTCA experts can attach chemotherapeutic agents to monoclonal antibodies to deliver high concentrations of these toxic substances directly to the tumor cells. In theory, this approach may be less toxic and more effective than conventional chemotherapy because it decreases the amount of harmful agents delivered to normal tissues.

Monoclonal antibodies may also be used during the diagnostic process to carry radioactive substances to cancer cells within your body, which allows your CTCA oncologists to pinpoint the location of metastases undetected by other methods.

In general, monoclonal antibodies have proven useful in treating hematologic malignancies, including leukemia and lymphoma. In addition, monoclonal antibodies are being developed to use against solid tumors. All of these antibodies offer a multitude of potential applications including nuclear imaging, surgical mapping, and direct therapy in multiple settings (e.g., alone, in conjunction with chemotherapy, for the treatment of metastases, in adjuvant settings, in high-dose rates, etc.).

The following are some of the potential side effects of monoclonal antibodies:

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath) and mild wheezing
• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Rash
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Allergic reactions

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