Treatment
The treatment for lymphoma depends on age, type of lymphoma, stage of lymphoma, and overall health of the patient. The different methods used for the treatment of lymphoma are:
- Surgery: The surgery aims to remove the affected spleen and lymph nodes as much as possible. It is usually performed in early-stage lymphoma.
- Bone marrow transplant: In this, a high dose of chemotherapy or radiation are given to kill the lymphoma and suppress the bone marrow. The destroyed bone marrow is later replaced with healthy stem cells.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is usually more effective on lymphoma cells than any other type of cancer cells, as lymphoma cells are sensitive to radiation. It is used to treat early-stage lymphoma that is confined to one part of the body. In this, high-powered beams are used to kill the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy may be combined with surgery or chemotherapy when the tumor is very bulky and is not removed (by surgery) or killed (by chemotherapy).
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves using drugs that kill the lymphoma cells by interfering in cell division. Chemotherapy is also used in relieving the symptoms in patients with advanced lymphoma as a part of palliative care.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy enables the immune system to recognize unique proteins on the surface of lymphoma and attack them. These drugs also strengthen the immune system.
- Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy targets the abnormalities or weaknesses of the lymphoma cells and targets them. It attacks the lymphoma cells more precisely than chemotherapy and causes less damage to the healthy cells.
