Lymphoma

• Physical examination: The doctor checks for swollen lymph nodes in the underarm, neck, and groin region.
• Lymph node biopsy: A part or all of the lymph node is excised (removed) by the surgeon and sent to the laboratory to check for the presence of cancer cells.
• Blood tests: This helps in assessing the cellularity and for the determination of the variation in the lymphocytes count.
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: A sample of bone marrow is removed and sent to the laboratory to look for lymphoma cells.
• Imaging tests: Tests like CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans are recommended to look for the signs of lymphoma in the other parts of the body.

• Chemotherapy is the combination of drugs to destroy the cancer cells. 
• Radiation Therapy uses high energy X-Rays to kill the cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy is the stimulation of body’s own immune system or the usage of man-made immune proteins to combat the cancer cells.
• Bone Marrow Transplant / Stem cell Transplant is the usage of bone marrow or stem cells from a compatible donor, preferably closest relatives, in order to replace the diseased bone marrow affected by the cancer cells.

A Bone Marrow Transplant entails the following risks:

• Graft-versus-Host disease - donor cells start to attack those of the recipient and hence causes immunity problems
• Graft rejection - donor stem cells do not function effectively in the recipient and fail to differentiate into blood cells.
• Thrombocytopenia and anaemia
• Infections and Bleeding
• Damage to the liver
• Delayed growth in children
• Clotting- in blood vessels 

• After a bone marrow transplant procedure, the patient is monitored to check for signs of graft rejection. Medication for graft versus host disease (GVHD) is given for preventing graft rejection.
• Antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals are the different types of medications given to prevent infections.
• Regular blood tests are done to check if the blood counts are back to normal and to check how well the donor’s stem cells are functioning in the recipient.
• In cases of too much blood loss or very slow recovery, blood transfusions may be required.
• Follow-up appointments with the doctor are required for both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin type of lymphoma. The periodicity of follow-up depends on the type and stage of lymphoma, the type of treatment done, the side effects caused due to the treatment, and the overall health of the patient.
• The doctor may prescribe regular CT scans and PET scans to check for any possibility of recurrence of the lymphoma.
• For patients who have undergone treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the doctor recommends vaccination for flu every year, and vaccination for pneumonia once every seven years.
• Generally, the prognosis for Hodgkin’s lymphoma is better as compared to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.