Lymphoma Care
To make an appointment, please call 206-598-4100.
Lymphoma is a general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. Hodgkin's disease is one type of lymphoma. All other lymphomas, ( almost 30 recognized types), are grouped together and called non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Lymphomas account for about 5 percent of all cases of cancer in this country.
Lymphoma can start almost anywhere in the body and causes the lymphatic tissue to become enlarged, pressing on nearby structures. The cancer can spread through the lymphatic vessels. If it gets into the blood vessels it can spread to almost any other place in the body.
More information about lymphoma is available on the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance's Web site.
Treatment
The malignant lymphomas are a family of illnesses whose behavior and treatment depends on the specific subtype that is diagnosed as well as how localized the tumor is. These tumors are generally not managed surgically and are most commonly treated with some combination of chemotherapy and/or radiation. In certain circumstances radiation alone is appropriate, and in other circumstances chemotherapy alone is appropriate.
A multi-disciplinary team of lymphoma specialists, working through the meet twice monthly to work collaboratively on the optimal management for individual patients with these diagnoses. This team includes hematologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists.
The first part of assessing a patient is a thorough evaluation of the extent of the tumor. This involves a number of imaging studies such as CAT scans or X-rays as well as biopsy sampling of the bone marrow. For patients in whom radiotherapy is an important part of treatment, the next step is the radiation treatment planning process. This may entail additional imaging studies to help pinpoint the areas that need to be radiated as well as to help the radiation oncologist calculate the requisite doses of radiation required.
Typically, our patients lie comfortably on their back while measurements are made and customized radiation fields are designed so as to direct the radiation to where the tumor is and to spare as much of the nearby normal tissues and organs as possible.
Following this treatment planning process, the patient returns for a series of daily outpatient treatments. Typically, these treatments require only a few minutes and little alteration in a person's daily activities. The treatments themselves are painless, and people are usually able to drive themselves to and from treatment without difficulty.
During the treatment process, patients will meet routinely with the radiation oncologist to review their progress and any potential side effects caused by the treatment or the illness. Regularly scheduled meetings take place every week with both the radiation nurses and physicians.
Side Effects
The potential side effects of such treatments vary tremendously with the area that is being radiated as well as the size of the tumor. In some instances people will feel virtually no side effects, and in others the side effects can be significant. Opportunities exist both before treatment and during treatment for the patient and their family to review all of these aspects of treatment with their physician and nurse.