Common Forms of Lymphoma Treatment
There are a number of established treatments that are commonly used in the fight against lymphoma however recently there have been a few new therapies that have also been found to help.
The established treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and occasionally surgery.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays aimed at the primary tumours to kill individual cells. As more cancerous cells are killed there are obviously fewer numbers left to divide and eventually, providing that the treatment is started early in the lymphoma's development, most of the cancer cells die. Unfortunately the normal body cells surrounding the cancerous tumour are also affected and it is this factor that causes the side effects of radiotherapy. Most side effects are not serious however and normal everyday life is rarely affected. Radiotherapy is often combined with chemotherapy in order to amplify the effect.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the use of powerful cytotoxic drugs to kill the cancerous cells. There are a number of chemotherapeutic agents and more than one is normally used at a time to treat each patient. The drugs that are prescribed will depend on the type of lymphoma and the extent to which it has developed and so each patient has their own individual regime. As with radiotherapy, chemotherapy can cause side effects however in many cases they are more severe and often need additional medication to control them.
When high doses of chemotherapy are given for long periods of time it can have the effect of killing the bone marrow as well as the cancerous cells and so the patient also requires regular bone marrow transplants. This is because the bone marrow is the site of production for all blood cells including the red blood cells and these need to be constantly replaced in the body, thus bone marrow is a necessary body system.
Surgery
Surgery is only possible in cases where the lymphoma is still confined to the primary site of development i.e. the lymph gland. In these cases the entire lymph gland can be removed and subsequent chemotherapy will kill any remaining cancerous cells. Unfortunately many cases of lymphoma have passed this early stage by the time they are diagnosed and so surgery is rarely an option.
In addition to these common treatments for lymphoma there are also a number of newer treatments that attack cancer cells in a different way. Some of these new treatments are still in the experimental stages and aren't available for widespread use yet.
- Immunotherapy stimulates the body's own immune system to fight and destroy cancer cells. Antibodies are normally produced by the cells of the immune system against specific diseases and so if antibodies to cancer cells can be combined with a drug that kills the cancerous cells then chemotherapy should in theory only have an affect on cancerous cells and not on the normal cells of the body.
- Chemicals called angiogenesis inhibitors are being developed that stop new blood vessels from forming in and around primary tumours. This means that even if a tumour starts to grow it won't be able to continue to develop because it won't be able to construct a blood supply.
The treatments may vary depending on the form of cancer you have developed. If you are is undergoing mesothelioma treatment, caused by asbestos, and have not yet spoken with a mesothelioma lawyer, find out if you are eligible to file a legal claim.