Many types of treatments exist for Hodgkin lymphoma. Treatment often starts with chemotherapy. Your healthcare team might check to see how the lymphoma is responding and decide whether you need more treatment. Your options might include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and bone marrow transplant, also called stem cell transplant. Sometimes, a combination of treatments is used.
The treatment that's best for you depends on the type of Hodgkin lymphoma that you have. Your healthcare team also might consider the stage of your lymphoma, whether you have any symptoms and your overall health.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy treats cancer with strong medicines. Many chemotherapy medicines exist. Most chemotherapy medicines are given through a vein. Some come in pill form.
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma treatment usually involves a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Sometimes chemotherapy may be the only treatment needed. More-advanced disease may be treated with a combination of chemotherapy and medicines that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells, known as targeted therapy.
For nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, chemotherapy may be combined with targeted therapy and radiation therapy.
Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the medicines you're given. Common side effects are nausea and hair loss. Serious long-term complications can occur, such as heart disease, lung damage, fertility problems and other cancers.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy treats cancer with powerful energy beams. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you. The machine directs radiation to precise points on your body.
For Hodgkin lymphoma, radiation can be aimed at affected lymph nodes and the nearby areas where the disease might spread. It's usually used with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy may be the only treatment needed for early-stage nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.
Radiation therapy side effects include fatigue and a sunburn-like reaction on the skin at the site where the radiation is aimed. Other side effects depend on where the radiation is aimed. Radiation to the neck can cause dry mouth and hurt the thyroid. Radiation to the chest can hurt the heart and lungs.
Bone marrow transplant
A bone marrow transplant, also called a bone marrow stem cell transplant, involves putting healthy bone marrow stem cells into the body. These cells replace cells hurt by chemotherapy and other treatments. A bone marrow transplant may be an option if Hodgkin lymphoma returns or doesn't respond to other treatments.
During a bone marrow transplant, your own blood stem cells are removed, frozen and stored. Next, you receive high-dose chemotherapy and radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells in your body. Finally, the stored stem cells are thawed and put back in your body to help build healthy bone marrow.
There is an increased risk of infection after a transplant.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy for cancer is a treatment that uses medicines that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, targeted therapy can cause cancer cells to die. Targeted therapy is often combined with chemotherapy for treating nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.
For classical Hodgkin lymphoma, targeted therapy might be an option in certain situations.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy for cancer is a treatment with medicine that helps the body's immune system kill cancer cells. The immune system fights off diseases by attacking germs and other cells that shouldn't be in the body. Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system. Immunotherapy helps the immune system cells find and kill the cancer cells.
For Hodgkin lymphoma, immunotherapy might be considered in certain situations, such as if the disease doesn't respond to other treatments.