Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Types, Causes, Symptoms ...

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a group of blood cancers that usually develop in your lymphatic system. They're acquired genetic disorders. ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation?Visitation,maskrequirementsandCOVID-19information Home / HealthLibrary / Disease&Conditions Non-HodgkinLymphoma Non-Hodgkinlymphomaisagroupofbloodcancersthatdevelopinyourlymphaticsystem.Peoplearelivinglongerwiththeseconditionsthankstonewtreatments,includingtargetedtherapies.Insomecases,treatmentseliminatenon-Hodgkinlymphomasignsandsymptoms,puttingthediseaseintoremissionformonthsoryears. Appointments&Access ContactUs Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith Non-HodgkinLymphoma Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith BackToTop Overview Whatisnon-Hodgkinlymphoma? Non-Hodgkinlymphomaisagroupofbloodcancersthatusuallydevelopinyourlymphaticsystem.They'reacquiredgeneticdisorders.You’renotbornwiththesedisorders.Instead,theyhappenwhengenesinsidecertaincellsmutateorchange.Inthiscase,theaffectedcellsareBlymphocytes(Bcells)orTlymphocytes(Tcells)thatarepartofyourimmunesystem. Therearemorethan70typesofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Peoplearelivinglongerwiththeseconditionsthankstonewtreatments,includingtargetedtherapies.Insomecases,treatmentseliminateallnon-Hodgkinlymphomasignsandsymptomsandcurethecondition.Inothercases,thegoalofthetreatmentistoputthediseaseintoremissionforaslongaspossible. Arenon-Hodgkinlymphomascommon? They'rerelativelycommon.IntheUnitedStates,thisgroupofconditionsisthesixthmostcommoncancerinmenandpeopledesignatedmaleatbirth(DMAB)andthesixthmostcommoncancerinwomenandpeopledesignatedfemaleatbirth(DFAB). TheU.S.NationalCancerInstituteestimatesthat2%ofallmenandpeopleDMABandwomenandpeopleDFABwilldevelopsometypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphomaintheirlifetime.Non-Hodgkinlymphomasrepresentabout3%ofallcancer-relateddeathsintheU.S.Worldwide,approximately5in100,000peoplehaveatypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphomaandabout3in100,000peoplediefromthiscondition. Whoisaffectedbytheseconditions? Non-Hodgkinlymphomastypicallyaffectpeopleage60andolder.They'resomewhatmorecommoninmenandpeopleDMABthaninwomenandpeopleDFAB.TheytypicallyaffectmorepeoplewhoarewhitethanpeoplewhoareBlack. Howdoesnon-Hodgkinlymphomaaffectmybody? Non-Hodgkinlymphomaisn’tasingledisease.Therearemanydifferenttypesofnon-Hodgkinlymphomas.Thesetypeshavethesamekindsofsymptoms.However,eachtypeoflymphomamayaffectyourbodyindifferentways.Forexample,sometypesofnon-Hodgkinlymphomaspreadmorequicklythanothertypes.Sometypesaffectorganslikeyourspleenandliverwhileothertypesaffectyourskin. Somenon-Hodgkinlymphomasmayaffectyourlymphaticsystemandyourabilitytofightinfection.Yourlymphaticsystemisanetworkoforgans,vesselsandlymphnodesthatworkswithyourimmunesystem.Non-Hodgkinlymphomashappenwhenwhitebloodcellsknownaslymphocytesmutateorchange. ThesecellsincludeBcells,Tcellsandnaturalkiller(NK)cells.ThenormalfunctionofBcellsistomakeantibodiesthatfightbacteriaandinfections.TcellstargetvirusesandotherforeigncellsandhelpBcellsmakeantibodies.NKcellsattacksomecancercellsandviruses.Healthcareprovidersclassifylymphomasaccordingtothetypeofwhitebloodcellinwhichalymphomastarts.About85%ofallnon-HodgkinlymphomasstartinBcells. Whenthesecellsmutate,theycontinuouslymultiply,eventuallybecomingtumors.Sinceyourlymphaticsystemtouchesnearlyeverypartofyourbody,non-Hodgkinlymphomafrequentlyspreadsfromwhereitstartedtootherareasofyourbody.Non-Hodgkinlymphomasmaygrowslowly(indolent)orspreadveryquickly(aggressive). Whatarethemostcommontypesofaggressivenon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Thereareseveralcommonformsofaggressivenon-Hodgkinlymphomas.Thesearelymphomasthatprogressorspreadveryquicklyandcausemoreserioussymptomsthanindolentnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Theytendtorespondquicklytotreatment. AggressiveB-celllymphomas DiffuseLargeB-celllymphoma(DLBCL):Thisisthemostcommontypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,accountingforabout30%ofallcasesintheU.S.DLBCLgrowsveryquicklyandmaystartinlymphnodesorinotherpartsofyourbody.MedicalresearchershaveidentifiedthreedifferentDLBCLsubgroups.ThesearegerminalcenterB-cell-like(GCB),activatedB-cell-like(ABC)andunclassified.GBCandABChaveseveraldifferentgeneticsubtypesandreacttochemotherapyindifferentways. Mantlecelllymphoma:ThistypehappenswhenaBcelllocatedintheso-calledmantlezoneofalymphnodemutates.Itaccountsforabout5%to7%ofallnon-Hodgkinlymphomasandtypicallyaffectsmales/peopleDMABage60andolder.WhilemantlecelllymphomaisconsideredanaggressiveB-celllymphoma,therearetimeswhenitgrowsmoreslowly.Thistypicallyhappensinolderpeoplewhohavelymphomaintheirspleenandlymphomacellsintheirbloodstream. Lymphoblasticlymphoma:Thisiscancerofimmaturelymphoblasts,whichnormallyproducehealthylymphocytes.Thisnon-Hodgkinlymphomatypeisverysimilartoacutelymphoblasticleukemia(ALL). Burkittlymphoma:Thisisoneofthefastestgrowingformsofcancerbutonewithhighratesofremissionandcure.Thislymphomatypicallygoesintoremissionafterintensivechemotherapy. AggressiveT-cellandNKlymphomas PeripheralT-celllymphoma(PTCL):Inthislymphoma,agroupofT-cellandnaturalkillerlymphomasdevelopinlymphoidtissuesincludingyourspleen,skinandgastrointestinaltract.It’susuallydiagnosedinpeopleage60andolder.PTCLaccountsforabout6%ofallnon-HodgkinlymphomasintheU.S.andEurope. AngioimmunoblasticT-celllymphoma(AITL):Thislymphomatypetypicallyaffectspeopleage40andolder.SomeAITLsymptomsaresimilartocertainautoimmunedisorders. Systemicanaplasticlargecelllymphoma(ALCL):Thisisararelymphomatype.Itmayaffectyourlymphnodesandorgans.TherearetwosystemicALCLsubtypes.Oneaffectschildrenandyoungadults.Theotherprimarilyaffectsolderadults. Hepatosplenicgamma/deltaT-celllymphoma:ThisaggressiveformofperipheralT-celllymphomaaffectsyourliverandspleen.MenandpeopleDMABaremorelikelytodevelopthisconditionthanwomenandpeopleDFAB.Thisconditiontypicallyaffectsteenagersandadultsunderage40. Whatarethemostcommontypesofindolentnon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Theselymphomatypestypicallygrowveryslowly.Peoplewhohaveaformofindolentnon-Hodgkinlymphomamaynotnoticechangesintheirbodythatturnouttobesymptomsofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma. IndolentB-celllymphomas Peoplediagnosedwithindolentlymphomamaynotneedimmediatetreatment.Healthcareprovidersinsteadmaymonitoryourhealthuntiltheydeterminethattreatmentisnecessary.Thisissometimescalled“watchfulwaiting”.Existingtreatmentsoftencan’tcurethisconditionyetareveryeffective.Thesetreatmentstypicallyeaseandsometimeseliminatesymptomsforalongtime. Follicularlymphoma:Thislymphomatypeformsinyourlymphnodes,bonemarrowandotherorgans.It’sthesecondmostcommonformofnon-HodgkinlymphomaintheU.S.andEurope. Chroniclymphocyticleukemia(CLL)/smalllymphocyticlymphoma(SLL):AlthoughthetermCLLsoundsdifferentfromthetermlymphoma,CLLissimilartootherindolentB-celllymphomas.HealthcareprovidersusethetermCLLwhenyouhavelargenumbersofabnormalBcellsinyourbloodstream.CLLisessentiallythesamediseaseasSLL,inwhichtheabnormalBcellsareprimarilyinyourtissuesandlymphnodes. Marginalzonelymphoma:Therearethreetypesofmarginalzonelymphoma—nodalmarginallymphoma,splenicmarginalzonelymphomaandextranodalmarginalzonelymphoma.Thislasttypeissometimesknownasmucosa-assistedlymphoidtissue(MALT)lymphoma.MALTlymphomaaffectsorgansotherthanlymphnodesincludingtheliningofyourstomach,yourlungsandthestructurearoundyoureyes. Waldenströmmacroglobulinemia(lymphoplasmacyticlymphoma):ThislymphomatypehappenswhengeneticmutationschangeBcellsthatproduceaparticulartypeofantibodycalledIgM.BoththelymphomacellsthemselvesandtheIgMantibodythattheyproducecancausespecificsignsandsymptoms. IndolentT–cell/NK-celllymphomas CutaneousT-celllymphoma:Thisrarelymphomatypeaffectsyourskin.MycosisfungoidesandSézarysyndromeareexamplesofcutaneousT-celllymphomas. Howseriousarenon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Theseseriousconditionscansometimesmakeyourbodymorevulnerabletolife-threateninginfections,otherkindsofcancerorheartdisease.Datashowabout3in100,000peopleworldwidedieofsometypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma. Whatisthesurvivalrateofnon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Studiesshowthatoverall,73%percentofpeoplewiththeseconditionsarealivefiveyearsaftertheirdiagnosis.Ingeneral,peoplediagnosedbeforetheconditionspreadslivelongerthanpeoplewhoarediagnosedaftertheconditionspreads. Canchildrenhaveanon-Hodgkinlymphoma? Yes,thisgroupofconditionscanaffectchildren.Therearethreecommontypesofnon-Hodgkinlymphomainchildren: Burkittlymphoma. DiffuselargeB-celllymphoma. PrimarymediastinalB-celllymphoma. SymptomsandCauses Whatcausesnon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Non-Hodgkinlymphomashappenwhenyourbodyproducestoomanyleukocytesorwhitebloodcells.Healthcareprovidersdon’tknowallthereasonswhythishappens.Geneticmutationsthataffectwhitebloodcellgrowthplayapart.(Theseareacquiredgeneticmutations,meaningyoudevelopthemduringyourlifetimeinsteadofbeingbornwiththem.)Theyalsoknowpeoplewhohavecertaininfectionsorproblemswiththeirimmunesystemaremorelikelytodevelopanon-Hodgkinlymphoma. Whatarethesymptomsofnon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Non-Hodgkinlymphomascausemanysymptoms.It’simportanttorememberthatmanyofthesesymptomsarecommonandrelatedtomanyconditions.Simplyhavingthesesymptomsdoesn’tmeanyouhaveanon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Thatsaid,youshouldcontactyourhealthcareprovideranytimeyounoticechangesinyourbodythatlastforseveralweeks. Herearecommonsymptomsofnon-Hodgkinlymphomas: Swollenlymphnodes:Youmayhavepainlessswellinginyourneck,armpitsorgroin. Belly(abdominal)painorswelling:Notallbellypainisasignofseriousillness.Contactyourhealthcareproviderifyouhaveseverepainthatdoesn’tgoaway. Chestpain:Thismaybeasymptomofanon-Hodgkinlymphomainyourlungtissuesorinlymphnodesinsideyourchest. Cough:Non-Hodgkinlymphomasinyourthymusorblockedlymphvesselsmaycausecoughing.Yourthymusisasmallglandinyourchest.Blockedbloodvesselsmaycausefluidtogatheraroundyourlungs,makingyoucough. Troublebreathing(dyspnea):Thisfeelslikeyoucan’ttakeadeepbreath. Persistentfatigue:Thisisfeelingmuchmoretiredthanusualforatleastseveraldaysandfornoapparentreason. Unexplainedfever:Often,feversaresignsyourbodyisfightinganinfection.Afeverthatstaysabove103F(39.5C)fortwoormorehoursafterhometreatmentorlastslongerthantwodaysmaybeasignofaseriousproblem. Heavynightsweats:Thisissweatingsointensethatitdrenchesyoursheets. Unexplainedweightloss:Thisislosingbodyweightwithouttrying.Losing10%ofyourtotalbodyweightoversixmonthsisasignofunexplainedweightloss. Feelingoffullness:Thisisfeelingasifyou’veeatenalotandhaveafullstomacheventhoughyou’renoteatingalot. DiagnosisandTests Howdohealthcareprovidersdiagnosenon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Providersmayusethefollowingtests: Bloodtests Bloodtestsgiveyourhealthcareprovideraviewofyouroverallhealth.Providersmaytestyourbloodforviruseslinkedtonon-Hodgkinlymphoma,orforsubstancesorothercharacteristicsthatmaybesignsofdisease. Completebloodcount(CBC):Thistestmeasuresandcountsyourbloodcells. Bloodchemistrystudy:Thistestmeasuressubstancesthatyourorgansandtissuesreleaseintoyourbloodstream. Lactatedehydrogenase(LDH)levels:ThistestmeasuresLDHlevels.HighLDHlevelsmaybeasignoftissuedamage,lymphomaorotherdiseases. Imagingtests Imagingtestsgivehealthcareprovidersinformationaboutchangesinyourbody,suchastumors. Computedtomography(CT)scan:CTscansmakeaseriesofdetailedpicturesofareasinsideyourbody. Positronemissiontomography(PET)scan:Thistestusesasmallamountofradioactivetracertodetecttissuesthatarelikelytocontaincancer. Magneticresonanceimaging(MRI)scan:Thistestusesamagnet,radiowavesandacomputertomakeaseriesofdetailedpicturesofareasinsideyourbody. Ultrasound:Inthisprocedure,high-energysoundwaves(ultrasound)bounceoffinternaltissuesororgansandmakeechoes.Theechoesformapictureofyourbodytissuescalledasonogram. Othertests Lymphnodebiopsy:ProvidersmayremoveallorpartofalymphnodetoexaminethetissueunderamicroscopeforsignsofReedSternbergcells. Immunophenotyping:Thistesthelpsdiagnosespecificlymphomatypes.Itusesantibodiestoidentifycancercellsbasedonthetypesofantigensormarkersonthesurfaceofthecells.(Yourbodymakesantibodiestocombatforeignsubstances.Antigensaresubstancesthattriggeryourimmunesystem.) HepatitisBandHepatitisC:ProvidersmaytestforhepatitisBandCmarkerstohelpplanHodgkinlymphomatreatment.Markersarevirus-specificantigensand/orantibodies.Differentmarkersorcombinationsofmarkersshowifyou’vebeenexposedtotheseviruses. Humanimmunodeficiencyvirus(HIV):ProvidersmaytestforHIVtohelpthemplantreatment. Whatarethestagesofnon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Testresultshelpproviderswithcancerstaging.Providersstagecancertodeveloptreatmentplansandestimateprognosis,orexpectedoutcome.Here'sinformationaboutnon-Hodgkinlymphomastages: StageI There'slymphomainonelymphnodeareaoronelymphoidorgan.Yourthymus,spleenandbonemarrowarelymphoidorgans. StageIE:There’slymphomainjustoneareaofasingleorganoutsideofyourlymphsystem. StageII There'slymphomaintwoormoregroupsoflymphnodesonthesamesideof(aboveorbelow)yourdiaphragm.Thisisthebandofmusclethatseparatesyourchestandbelly. Thelymphomaispartofagroupoflymphnodesandisinoneareaofanearbyorgan.Inthisstage,thelymphomamayalsoaffectotherlymphnodesnearyourdiaphragm. StageIII: There'slymphomainlymphnodeareasonbothsidesof(aboveandbelow)yourdiaphragm. Or: There'slymphomainlymphnodesaboveyourdiaphragmandinyourspleen. StageIV: There'slymphomainatleastoneorganoutsideyourlymphsystem,suchasyourbonemarrow,liverorlung. Understandingcancerstaging Cancerstagingsystemshelphealthcareproviderstoplantreatmentandshareinformationaboutyoursituation.Healthcareprovidersusestagestoplannon-Hodgkinlymphomatreatment.Theyalsoevaluateriskfactorstoplaceconditionsincertaincategoriesthatcharacterizeprognosisorexpectedoutcomes. Somepeoplewhohavecancermaybeconfusedandintimidatedbyasystemthatdescribestheirillnesswithaformulaoflettersandnumbersorriskfactorsthatplacetheminonecategoryoranother.Theymayevenfeelasiftheircondition’sstageorcategorydefineswhotheyare. Healthcareprovidersunderstandwhypeoplemayfeelthisway.Ifthisisyoursituation,talktoyourprovider.They’llbegladtoansweryourquestionsaboutcancerstagingsystems. ManagementandTreatment Howdohealthcareproviderstreatnon-Hodgkinlymphoma? Thereareseveraltypesoftreatmentsfornon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Thesetreatmentseitherkillcancercellsorkeepthemfromdividing.Eachtreatmenthasdifferentsideeffects.Here'smoreinformation: Watchfulwaiting/activesurveillance:Ifyouhaveatypeofindolentorslow-growingnon-Hodgkinlymphomabutdon’thavesymptoms,yourprovidermayholdoffonmedicationsorothertreatments.Thisiscalledwatchfulwaitingoractivesurveillance.Providerscarefullymonitoryouroverallhealthsothey’rereadytostarttreatmentassoonasyouhavesymptoms. Traditionalsystemicchemotherapy:Thesedrugsattackcancercellsthroughoutyourbody.Mosttraditionalchemotherapydrugsaregivenintravenouslyandsometimeshavesideeffectssuchasnausea,hairlossorlownumbersofnormalbloodcells. Targetedtherapy:Theseincludetreatmentssuchasmonoclonalantibodytherapy.Thistreatmentuseslab-createdantibodiestofindanddestroyspecificcancercells. Immunotherapy:Thistreatment,alsocalledbiologictherapyorbiotherapy,boostsyourbody’simmunesystem.CAR-Tcelltherapyisanexampleofimmunotherapy,althoughmanyhealthcareprovidersalsoviewmonoclonalantibodiesasatypeofimmunotherapyaswell. Radiationtherapy:ThistreatmentincludesX-raysorothertypesofradiation. Chemotherapywithstemcelltransplantation:Stemcellsareimmaturebloodcellsinyourbloodorbonemarrow.Instemcelltransplantation,providersmaydoautologousstemcelltransplantation.Lessfrequently,theymaydoallogeneicstemcelltransplantation. Prevention HowcanIreducemyriskofdevelopingnon-Hodgkinlymphoma? Thereareseveralriskfactorslinkedtonon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Ariskfactorisanactivityorphysicalconditionthatincreasesyourriskofdevelopingacertaindisease.Yourriskofdevelopinganon-Hodgkinlymphomaincreasesifyou're: Older. AmanorapersonDMAB. White. Asexplainedbelow,youmayalsobeatriskifyou: Havecertainmedicalconditions. Havehadcertainmedicaltreatments. Havecertainlifestylehabits. Medicalconditions Thefollowingconditionsmayincreaseyourrisk: Autoimmunediseases:Peoplewithinflammatoryboweldisease,rheumatoidarthritis,psoriasisorotherrheumatologicconditionsmayhaveanincreasedriskofdevelopinganon-Hodgkinlymphoma. HIV/AIDS:Humanimmunodeficiencyvirus(HIV)isthevirusthatcausesacquiredimmunedeficiencysyndrome(AIDS).Havingnon-Hodgkinlymphomadoesn’tmeanyouhaveHIV/AIDS. Helicobacterpyloriinfection:Thisinfectioncausesstomachulcers.Repeatedboutsofthisinfectionincreaseyourriskofdevelopinganon-Hodgkinlymphoma. HumanT-lymphotrophicvirusTypeIorEpstein-Barrvirus. Medicaltreatments Somepeoplewhohavehadthefollowingtreatmentsmaydevelopanon-Hodgkinlymphoma: Organtransplant:Peoplewho’vegonethroughorgantransplantation—includingheart,lungandkidneytransplantations—haveincreasedriskofdevelopinglymphoma.Thisisbecausetheyneedtotakeanti-rejectionmedicationthatsuppressestheirimmunesystems. Previoustreatmentfornon-Hodgkinlymphoma. Radiationtherapy. Otherriskfactors Youmaydevelopanon-Hodgkinlymphomaifyou: Workaroundpesticides:Someresearchshowspeopleexposedtocertainhighlevelsofpesticides,suchasagriculturalworkers,mayhaveaslightlyincreasedriskofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Theriskfromlow-leveland/orperiodicexposuretothesesubstancesisnotcertain. Haveobesity. Eatalotofmeatandfats. Outlook/Prognosis Dopeoplesurvivenon-Hodgkinlymphomas? Yes,peoplewhohavetreatmentfornon-Hodgkinlymphomasgointoremission.Remissionmeanstheydon’thaveanysymptomsandtestsshowtheydon’thavesignsofthecondition.Somepeopleareconsideredtobecuredbecausethey’veremainedinremissionformanyyears.Sometimesnon-Hodgkinlymphomascomeback.Studiesshowmostaggressivenon-Hodgkinlymphomascomebackduringthefirsttwoyearsaftertreatment,ortheynevercomeback. It’simportanttorememberthatnoteveryonediagnosedwithanon-Hodgkinlymphomaultimatelydiesfromit,eveniftheconditioncan’tbecured. Whatistheriskofrelapse? Therearetworeasonswhyyourconditionmaycomeback: Yourtreatmentdidn’teliminatethecondition. Yourconditionwentintoremissionandthencamebackorrelapsed.Thismayhappenbecausetreatmenteliminatedfast-growingcellsbutleftslow-growingcellsbehind. Canmyhealthcareproviderestimatethechancemyconditionwillcomeback? Yes,theycan.Forexample,ifyouhaveanaggressivetypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,yourhealthcareprovidermayusetheInternationalPrognosticIndex(IPI),oneofseveralrisk-scoringtools.Theindexisbasedonfactorssuchasyourage,non-Hodgkinlymphomastageandcertainbloodtestresults. LivingWith What’sitliketolivewithnon-Hodgkinlymphoma? Forsomepeople,livingwithnon-Hodgkinlymphomameanstheirtreatmenteliminatedthecancercellsandthey'recured.Thisismorecommonaftertreatmentforaggressivelymphoma.Otherpeoplemayhavethisconditionfortherestoftheirlives.It’simportanttorememberthatwithsomeformsofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,manypeoplehavenormal(ornearnormal)qualityoflife.It’sjustasimportanttorememberthatnoteveryonewho'sdiagnosedultimatelydiesfromit,eveniftheconditioncan’tbecured. Livinginremission Ifyourconditionisinremission,itmeanstreatmenteliminatedallsignsandsymptomsofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Evenso,you’llneedregularcheckupssoyourhealthcareprovidercanmonitoryouroverallhealthandwatchforrelapse. Youmayfeelanxiousbecauseyoucan’tbesureyouwon’tgetsickagain.Ifthat’syoursituation,talktoyourprovider.Theymayhaveinformationtomakeyouworryless.Theymayalsohaveresourcestohelpyoumanageyouremotions. Livingwithanon-Hodgkinlymphoma Somepeoplewithanon-Hodgkinlymphomawillneedcontinuoustreatment.Otherpeoplemayneedoccasionaltreatment.Inbothcases,however,thesepeoplewillstillhaveanon-Hodgkinlymphomaandwillneedsomeformoftreatmentfortherestoftheirlives. It’snoteasytolivewithachronicdiseasethat’slikelytogetworseastimegoesby.Ifyouarelivingwithnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,youmaywanttoexplorepalliativecare.Palliativecareprovidessymptomrelief,comfortandsupporttopeoplelivingwithseriousmedicalconditions. WhatcanIdotomanagemycondition? Youcanmanageyourconditioninseveralways.Theseactivitieswon’tmakeyourconditiongoaway,buttheymayhelpyoufeelmoreconfidentaboutlivingwithit: Eathealthymeals:Foodisenergy.Eatingwellisonewaytomaintainstrength.Asktospeaktoanutritionistifyou’dlikemoreinformationorideasabouteatingwell. Restasmuchasyoucan:Youmayfeelwornoutbychemotherapyandothertreatments.Resthelpsyourbodyrecoverandregainstrength. Manageyourstress:It’snoteasytolivewithanon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Youmaywonderhowtheconditionandtreatmentwillaffectyourdailylife.Youmaybeworriedaboutyourprognosis.Talktoyourproviderifyou’respendingtimeandemotionalenergyworryingaboutyoursituation.They’llansweryourquestionsandrecommendprograms,likesupportgroups,thatmayhelp. Stopsmoking:There’ssomeindicationthatpeoplewhosmokeincreasetheirriskofdevelopinganon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Ifyousmoke,askyourprovideraboutsmokingcessationprograms. WhenshouldIseemyhealthcareprovider? Ifyou’rereceivingtreatmentfornon-Hodgkinlymphoma,youshouldcontactyourproviderifyoursymptomsreturnorgetworse. WhenshouldIgototheemergencyroom? Youshouldgototheemergencyroomifyouhavetreatmentsideeffectsthatdon’tsubsideaftertakingprescribedmedication,arestrongerthanyouexpectorcontinueforalongtime. WhatquestionsshouldIaskmydoctor? You’llprobablyhavemanyquestionsasyougothroughdiagnosisandtreatmentfornon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Herearesomequestionsyoumaywanttoaskyourhealthcareprovider: Whatkindofnon-HodgkinlymphomadoIhave? Whatstageismydisease? Whattreatmentsdoyourecommend? Whatarethesideeffectsofthosetreatments? Canyoucuremynon-Hodgkinlymphoma? AnotefromClevelandClinic Newertreatmentssuchastargetedtherapyandimmunotherapyaremakingadifferenceforpeoplewhohavesometypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Somepeoplearelivinglonger.Somepeoplenolongerhavenon-Hodgkinlymphomasymptomsorsignsofdisease.Insomeformsofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,manypeoplecompletetreatmentandgoontohavenormal(ornearlynormal)qualityoflife. Meanwhile,researcherscontinuetoinvestigategeneticmutationsthatcausenon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Ifyou’relivingwithnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,askyourhealthcareprovideraboutclinicaltrialsevaluatingpotentialtreatments. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy RelatedInstitutes&Services ClevelandClinicCancerCenter ClevelandClinicCancerCenterprovidesworld-classcaretopatientswithcancerandisattheforefrontofnewandemergingclinical,translationalandbasiccancerresearch. Pathology&LaboratoryMedicineInstitute(R.Tomsich) ClevelandClinic’sRobertJ.TomsichPathology&LaboratoryMedicineInstitutetouchesvirtuallyeverypatientatClevelandClinicandthousandsofpatientsacrosstheworld. 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