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Asked by Keani, Washington
My daughter-in-law has had a diagnosis of follicular lymphoma. She has had several blood transfusions and chemo. What is available for this young woman? We are very concerned for the future.
Conditions Expert
Dr. Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society
Lymphoma is cancer of the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are filters in our immune system. There are 20 or more kinds of lymphoma. Each type has a different prognosis. In general follicular lymphomas are less aggressive than diffuse lymphomas. These diseases are rare enough that we generally recommend the patient be treated by a physician who specializes in and is experienced in treating lymphoma. These physicians are usually found at university medical centers or very large oncology practices.
Some types of lymphoma are best watched and not treated until they cause problems. Some types benefit from early and very aggressive treatment. Treatments can include a number of chemotherapy drugs and radiation. Some lymphomas as determined by laboratory tests will benefit from certain antibody therapies. Bone marrow transplant is done in some patients, using the bone marrow of the patient after high-dose chemotherapy or radiation, or bone marrow of a donor. Some types of lymphomas have a very high rate of remission with no subsequent problems.
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