Treatment for newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Keypoints
- Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma undergo a series of tests so doctors can identify the type of the lymphoma and the stage of the disease
- Whether or not a patient has indolent or aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma affects the treatment they are given
- Treatment is also affected by whether the disease is at an advanced or early stage in its development
- Patients who have symptoms from their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are also given different treatment than those without symptoms
Introduction
Before treatment can be started, it is
important to find out whether the lymphoma is indolent or aggressive,
and also to stage the
lymphoma. This process is likely to involve laboratory investigations
and the collecting of a sample of disease cells, or a 'biopsy'.
It forms a vital part of the treatment planning.
It is best to wait until the results of all the investigations are available before making final decisions about the treatment plan. It might seem, therefore, as if treatment is being unnecessarily delayed, but any slight delay will be more than made up for by ensuring that the right treatment is used. For more information, see Diagnostic visits and check-ups.
It is best to wait until the results of all the
investigations are available before making final decisions
about the treatment plan
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The most important things to consider when planning treatment
for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are:
- Whether the lymphoma is indolent or aggressive
- The type of lymphoma
- The staging of the lymphoma
- Treatment for indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
The table shows the main types of non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma and whether they are
indolent or aggressive
| Follicular lymphoma |
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma |
| Diffuse small cleaved cell lymphoma |
Mantle cell lymphoma |
| MALT lymphoma |
Adult lymphoblastic lymphoma |
| Small lymphocytic lymphoma |
Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma |
| Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia |
Burkitt's lymphoma |
| Note: The types within each classification can vary significantly, and treatments are often different for each type |
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