Childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma

You are here: 

Targeted therapy for childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Targeted therapy is sometimes used to treat certain types of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). It uses drugs to target specific molecules (such as proteins) on cancer cells or inside them. These molecules help send signals that tell cells to grow or divide. By targeting these molecules, the drugs stop the growth and spread of cancer cells and limit harm to normal cells. Targeted therapy may also be called molecular targeted therapy.

Your child may have targeted therapy to treat:

  • Burkitt lymphoma or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
  • childhood NHL that no longer responds to chemotherapy

Your child’s healthcare team will consider the child’s personal needs to plan the drugs, doses and schedules of targeted therapy. Your child may also receive other treatments.

Targeted therapy drugs used for childhood NHL

The main targeted therapy drug used to treat childhood NHL is rituximab (Rituxan), which is used for newly diagnosed DLBCL and Burkitt lymphoma. Other targeted therapy drugs, such as brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) and crizotinib (Xalkori), may be used in some relapsed cases in a clinical trial setting. CAR T-cell therapy may also be used in a clinical trial setting.

Both rituximab and brentuximab vedotin are monoclonal antibodies. These drugs are designed to attach to a specific substance (protein marker) on the surface of lymphoma cells.

Rituximab is designed to attach to CD20, which is one of the most common protein markers on lymphoma cells. CD20 is found on normal and abnormal B cells (B lymphocytes). Abnormal B cells are associated with some types of childhood NHL. Rituximab works by stimulating the body’s immune system to attack and destroy the lymphocytes it attaches to. This drug is used to treat certain types of B-cell NHL that have CD20 (called CD20-positive, or CD20+, NHL), such as Burkitt lymphoma and DLBCL. CD20 is not usually found on B cells in lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin targets CD30, which is another protein that may be found on the surface of some lymphoma cells. This drug may be used to treat anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) that has come back (recurred) after other treatments.

New monoclonal antibodies (called immune checkpoint inhibitors) may be used in combination with other therapies in relapsed or recurrent childhood NHL in a clinical trial setting.

Crizotinib and ceritinib (Zykadia) target ALCL cells that have an abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene (called ALK-positive ALCL). Crizotinib may be used to treat ALK-positive ALCL that is no longer responding to other treatments.

Side effects






Information about specific cancer drugs


Questions to ask about targeted therapy


monoclonal antibody

