blood disorders
Hodgkin Lymphoma
Treatment of Hodgkin Lymphoma
Chemotherapy Radiation therapy Surgery Sometimes stem cell transplantation With Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Cancer Treatments , with or without Before treatment and where applicable, men should be offered sperm banking, and women should discuss options to preserve fertility with their oncologists and a fertility specialist. Chemotherapy is used for all stages of disease. Doctors usually use more than one chemotherapy drug. Several combinations may be used and may include immunotherapy drugs as well. Immunotherapy drugs are made up of antibodies that attack cancer cells. Involved field radiation therapy (radiation therapy delivered only to the affected areas of the body, avoiding exposing unaffected areas to radiation) may be added after chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is usually given on an outpatient basis over about 3 to 4 weeks. About 85% of people with stage I or stage II disease are cured with chemotherapy alone or with chemotherapy plus involved field radiation therapy. The cure rate of people with stage III disease ranges from 70 to 80%. Cure rates for people with stage IV disease, while not as high, are above 60%. Although chemotherapy greatly improves the chances for a cure, side effects can be serious. The drugs may cause Temporary or permanent infertility An increased risk of infection Potential damage to other organs, such as the heart or lungs Reversible hair loss After radiation therapy, there is an increased risk of cancer, such as lung, breast, or stomach cancer, occurring 10 or more years after treatment in organs that were in the radiation field. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas and Overview of Leukemia may develop in some people many years after successful treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma, regardless of the treatment used. A person who has a remission (the disease under control) after initial treatment but then relapses (lymphoma cells reappear) may still be cured with another treatment. The cure rate for people who relapse is at least 50%. Among people who relapse in the first 12 months after initial treatment, cure rates are somewhat lower, whereas the rates for people who relapse later tend to be somewhat higher. People who relapse after initial treatment generally are treated with a “salvage” chemotherapy regimen followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous Stem Cell Transplantation , which involves using the person's own stem cells. High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation is generally a safe procedure, with less than a 1 to 2% risk of death related to the treatment. Immunotherapy drugs are also used to treat people who have a relapse. After treatment has been finished, people have regular doctor's examinations and tests to look for return of the lymphoma (posttreatment surveillance) for a period of 5 years. Tests typically include blood tests and CT scans of the chest and pelvis. If people have had radiation therapy, doctors also do tests, such as mammography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breasts and thyroid tests, to see if a new cancer developed in those organs. 