Lymphoma is leukemia. Each of these cancers starts in a different type of cell.
- Lymphoma starts in infection-fighting lymphocytes.
- Leukemia starts in blood-forming cells inside bone marrow.
Lymphoma is also not the same as biopsy to check for cancer cells. For this test, a doctor will remove all or part of a lymph node, or use a needle to take a small amount of tissue from the affected node.
You might also have one of these tests to help diagnose, stage, or manage lymphoma:
- Bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. Your doctor uses a needle to remove fluid or tissue from your bone marrow — the spongy part inside bone where blood cells are made — to look for lymphoma cells.
- Chest X-ray. It will be done using low doses of radiation radiation to make images of the inside of your chest.
- MRI. A technician will use powerful magnets and radio waves to make pictures of organs and structures inside your body.
- PET scan. This imaging test uses a radioactive substance to look for cancer cells in your body.
- Molecular test. This test is used to find changes to genes, proteins, and other substances in cancer cells to help your doctor figure out which type of lymphoma you have.
- Blood tests. These check the number of certain cells, levels of other substances, or evidence of infection in your blood.
Questions for Your Doctor
- What type of lymphoma do I have?
- What stage is my lymphoma?
- Have you treated people with this kind of lymphoma before?
- What are my treatment options?
- How will the treatments make me feel?
- What will help me feel better during my treatment?
- Are there any complementary treatments I could consider along with the usual medical care? Are there any I should avoid?
Treatment
The treatment you get depends on what type of lymphoma you have and its stage.
The main treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma are:
- , which uses drugs to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy, which uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells
- Immunotherapy, which uses your body’s immune system to attack cancer cells
- Targeted therapy that targets aspects of lymphoma cells to curb their growth
The main treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma are:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Immunotherapy
If these treatments don’t work, you might have a stem cell transplant. First you’ll get very high doses of chemotherapy. This treatment kills cancer cells, but it also destroys stem cells in your bone marrow that make new blood cells. After chemotherapy, you will get a transplant of stem cells to replace the ones that were destroyed.
Two types of stem cell transplants can be done:
- An autologous transplant uses your own stem cells.
- An allogeneic transplant uses stem cells taken from a donor.
Taking Care of Yourself
Lymphoma treatment can cause side effects. Talk to your medical team about ways to relieve any symptoms you have.
Also ask your doctor about changes to your diet and exercise that can help you feel better during your treatment. Ask a dietitian for help if you’re not sure what types of food to eat. Exercises like walking or swimming can relieve fatigue and help you feel better during treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. You might also try alternative therapies like relaxation, , or guided imagery to help relieve pain.
What to Expect
Treatments have improved a lot, and many people do very well after treatment. Your doctor will talk to you about a survivorship care plan. Your outlook depends on:
- The kind of lymphoma you have
- How far the cancer has spread
- Your age
- The type of treatment you get
- What other health problems you have
Getting Support (Resources)
You can get support from people who have gone through this kind of illness.
Contact the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or Lymphoma Research Foundation to learn more.