Orange County CyberKnife is committed to providing high-quality cancer treatment from our state-of-the-art radiation oncology center – no matter what type or stage of cancer you’re facing. We understand how difficult the battle against cancer can be, and we strive to help our patients through advanced treatments that suit their lifestyles. Lymphoma is among the most serious forms of cancer, and we’re dedicated to helping our patients overcome it no matter what.
The term “lymphoma” applies to any cancer affecting the lymphatic system, which is a critical part of the immune system. Lymphoma causes lymphocytes, special white blood cells that fight infections, to grow abnormally or fail to die off normally, causing them to spiral “out of control.” These abnormal lymphocytes can collect in the lymph nodes, which are small, bean-shaped organs scattered throughout the body.
Because lymphoma affects the entire immune system, it can affect lymph nodes anywhere in the body, as well as other organs like the spleen or your bone marrow, both of which play a role in the immune system. Similar to other cancers, lymphoma may impair the function of organs that it affects. If it affects bone marrow, for example, you may fail to make new red blood cells, as these are created within the bone marrow.
While lymphoma is technically a disease of the lymphatic system, it can also grow in other parts of the body. Lymphoma may affect the breast, stomach, bowels, skin, or liver. These forms of lymphoma are called “extranodal,” which means they take place “outside the lymph nodes.”
Lymphoma is a serious disease that’s difficult to fight because it isn’t centralized to one place – but with the world-class cancer treatment team at OC CyberKnife, there’s always hope. Our cancer doctors will work with you to diagnose your condition, create a comprehensive treatment plan, and help you beat cancer and get back to a normal routine. Contact OC CyberKnife today at (714) 962-7100 to see how we can help you overcome cancer and reclaim your life. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Orange County CyberKnife offers the most comprehensive array of advanced radiation therapies in Southern California and is your best choice for the radiation therapy you may need to treat Lymphoma. The lymphatic system is made up of a web of tissues and organs connected throughout the body by tiny vessels. Its primary purpose is to assist the body in removing toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. By transporting lymph, a clear fluid with infection-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes, from the extremities and organs back to the blood for circulation, the lymph system also fights infection and prevents disease. When cancerous abnormal cells grow in the lymphocytes, it’s called lymphoma, a type of cancer.
There are two primary types of lymphoma. With each, the cancer grows differently and they are treated differently so it is important to know which type of lymphoma you’ve been diagnosed with.
This type of lymphoma can occur at any age with an average age at diagnosis of 39, but is very treatable and often curable. It can start almost anywhere in the body but often starts in the upper parts of the body including chest, neck, or under the arms. It is named for the British doctor Thomas Hodgkin, who first described the disease in 1832. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be more than 9000 people diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma each year. With advanced treatments, such as those at Orange County CyberKnife, the survival rate has been increasing and is now at 86 percent for a five-year survival and 80 percent for ten-year.
This type of lymphoma is eight times more common than Hodgkin’s lymphoma with more than 72,000 people expected to be diagnosed this year. NHL can start in many different parts of the body, depending on which type of NHL it is. There are about 30 different types of NHL types and the type can also affect at what rate the cancer grows and which symptoms you may have. All types are treatable and many are curable.
Treatment options depend on the type of lymphoma, its stage and your overall health. Treatment may include biologic (also called immunotherapy therapy), targeted therapy, stem cell transplant, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, either alone or in combination with other treatments. Surgery is rarely used. At Orange County Cyberknife, our team of oncology specialists will work with your medical team to develop the best plan for your individual case. Treatment options for lymphoma include:
This treatment uses special combinations of different drugs to shrink or kill the cancer. It’s most often injected into a vein or taken as a pill. The drugs then travel throughout the bloodstream to kill the cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is often followed by radiation therapy.
Also called immunotherapy, biologic therapy works with your immune system to fight disease. Biologic therapy is like chemotherapy. The difference is that chemotherapy attacks the diseased cells directly, and biologic therapy helps your immune system fight the disease.
With the most advanced radiation therapies in Southern California and the highly trained and skilled medical oncology staff, you will find several different radiation therapy options at Orange County CyberKnife. From CyberKnife to Clinac iX, each of these technologies are used to give your specific type of lymphoma the best treatment possible. This external beam radiation therapy delivers radiation to the diseased cells accurately and is proven to be very successful at treating and curing lymphoma. For example, the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the only technology in the world that synchronizes direct beams of radiation with the movement of your tumor during natural breathing and continually verifies the Cyberknife is on target automatically. Other radiation therapy tools can deliver radiation to all the lymph nodes in the body to destroy cells that may have spread to other lymph nodes. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or biologic therapy. You will work with your Orange County CyberKnife radiation oncologist to agree on a treatment plan that is best for you.
Our medical oncology experts are here to help you understand every facet of your lymphoma treatment. Please contact us today at (714) 962-7100 – your first phone consultation is absolutely free! We will answer all of your questions about the types of treatment available to you. Or, use our convenient online appointment form to make your first appointment. We look forward to caring for you in our comfortable outpatient environment and helping you on the road to recovery.
The two main forms of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and nonHodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Lymphoma occurs when lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, grow abnormally. The body has two main types of lymphocytes that can develop into lymphomas: Blymphocytes (Bcells) and Tlymphocytes (Tcells).
Staging helps to describe where the Hodgkin lymphoma is located, if or where it has spread, and whether it is affecting other parts of the body. Doctors use diagnostic tests to find out the cancer’s stage, so staging may not be complete until all tests are finished. Knowing the stage helps the doctor to decide what kind of treatment is best and can help predict a patient’s prognosis. There are different stage descriptions for different types of cancer.
When staging Hodgkin lymphoma, doctors evaluate the following:
The stage of lymphoma describes the extent of the spread of the tumor, using the terms stage I through IV (1 through 4). Each stage may also be subdivided into “A” and “B” categories, based on the presence or absence of specific symptoms.
Stage I. The cancer is found in 1 region of a lymph node.
Stage II. Either one of these conditions:
Stage III. There is cancer in lymph node areas on both sides of the diaphragm, meaning above and below it (stage III). In addition, there may be involvement of an extralymphatic organ (stage IIIE), involvement of the spleen (using the letter “S,” stage IIIS), or both (stage IIIES).
Stage IV. The lymphoma has spread throughout more than one area of the body. Common places Hodgkin lymphoma usually spreads include the liver, bone marrow, or lungs.
Recurrent. Recurrent lymphoma is lymphoma that has come back after treatment. Lymphoma may return in the area where it first started or in another part of the body. Recurrence may occur shortly after the first treatment or years later. If the lymphoma does return, there will be another round of tests to learn about the extent of the recurrence. These tests and scans are often similar to those done at the time of the original diagnosis.
Lymphoma is a type of cancer. It starts in the infectionfighting lymphatic system. There are 2 main types of lymphoma. They are Hodgkin and nonHodgkin. With either type, cells in lymphoid tissue grow out of control.
The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It helps the body fight disease and sickness. The lymphatic system consists of a series of thin tubes and clusters of lymph nodes throughout the body. These tubes carry fluid, called lymph, through the lymph nodes and back into the bloodstream. This colorless, watery fluid is rich in white blood cells. Lymphocytes are the main type of cells. They help the body fight off infection. A lymph node is about the size of a pea and has large numbers of lymphocytes. Groups of lymph nodes are found in the stomach, chest, groin, and neck. Some of the body’s internal organs are also part of the lymphatic system. These organs include the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and tonsils. Other organs,like parts of the digestive tract, also contain lymph tissue. Lymphoma can start in any part of the body where there is lymphatic tissue.
The cells of each of these diseases look different under a microscope. They also spread differently. Hodgkin tends to spread in a more predictable way and typically not as much as nonHodgkin.
A fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a type of biopsy. A biopsy is a test to check for cancer. To do an FNA, the healthcare provider takes a small sample of cells from the tumor or suspicious place. For an FNA, the healthcare provider inserts a very thin, hollow needle into the tumor to collect cells. Then the cells are looked at under a microscope for cancer cells. With lymphoma, sometimes an FNA doesn’t give the healthcare provider enough cells to look at for a clear diagnosis. Because of this, healthcare providers often prefer to use other types of biopsies to diagnose lymphoma.
An excisional biopsy is when a surgeon takes out the whole lymph node. An incisional biopsy is when a surgeon takes out only a part of the lymph node or tumor. In both cases, a specialized healthcare provider called a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Both of these types of biopsies almost always give the pathologist enough tissue to confirm whether there is cancer, as well as what type it is.
One of the most common symptoms of lymphomas is swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, groin, and/or underarms. If the lymphoma is in other organs or tissues, you may have other symptoms, like headaches, cough, shortness of breath, swelling in the stomach, or nausea. You may also experience generalized symptoms, like fever, itchy skin, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. People may have only some of these symptoms. It is important to remember that all of these symptoms can be caused by other medical problems. But if you have any of these, see your healthcare provider.
There are many different types of nonHodgkin lymphoma. The treatment of any lymphoma depends on the type of lymphoma and on its stage, which is how far the cancer has spread. In a very early stage, radiation may be the main treatment. A combination of chemotherapy drugs is the most common treatment. There are many different regimens available. There’s also immunotherapy. This uses drugs like monoclonal antibodies, as well as other drugs called targeted therapies. Often, several types of treatment are used together. In rare cases, a surgeon may take out a diseased spleen. In cases when treatment stops working, a healthcare provider may suggest highdose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. This is also called bone marrow transplant.
There are many reasons someone might want to ask for a second opinion. Here are some:
Here are ways to find someone for a second opinion:
Ask the healthcare provider for the name of a specialist. Call the Cancer Information Service. The number is 8004CANCER (8004226237). Callers can learn about centers and programs supported by the National Cancer Institute. Get names of healthcare providers from the local medical society. Get names of healthcare providers from a hospital, medical school, or cancer advocacy group. Ask people who have had the same kind of cancer for healthcare providers’ names.
Remember, it is more important to make an informed decision about your healthcare team and treatment than to make a quick decision. Give yourself time to get all the information you need to make the best choice for yourself.