Follicular Lymphoma: Stages, Symptoms, Treatment ...

Follicular lymphoma is a very slow-growing cancer that may appear in your lymph nodes, your bone marrow and other organs. ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation?Visitation,maskrequirementsandCOVID-19information Home / HealthLibrary / Disease&Conditions FollicularLymphoma Follicularlymphomaisaveryslow-growingcancerthatmayappearinyourlymphnodes,yourbonemarrowandotherorgans.Therearewaystotreatfollicularlymphoma,buttheconditionoftenreturns.Healthcareprovidersarehopefulnewertreatmentsmaymeanacureforfolliclelymphomaisonthehorizon. CancerAnswerLine866.223.8100 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment DownloadaTreatmentGuide SearchClinicalTrials Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith FollicularLymphoma Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith BackToTop Overview Whatisfollicularlymphoma? Follicularlymphomaisaveryslow-growingcancerthatmayappearinyourlymphnodes,yourbonemarrowandotherorgans.Youcanhavefollicularlymphomawithouthavingsymptoms.Healthcareprovidersconsiderfollicularlymphomaachronicillness.Therearewaystotreatfollicularlymphoma,buttheconditionoftencomesback.Healthcareprovidersarehopefulnewertreatmentsmaymeanacureforfolliclelymphomaisonthehorizon. Whoisaffectedbyfollicularlymphoma? Approximately3.5peoplein100,000havefollicularlymphoma.Peopleage65andolderaremorelikelytohavethisconditionthanyoungerpeople,andmalesaremorelikelythanfemalestodevelopfollicularlymphoma. Howdoesfollicularlymphomaaffectmybody? FollicularlymphomaisasubtypeofB-celllymphoma,aformofnon-Hodgkin’slymphoma.Follicularlymphomasymptomsmirrornon-Hodgkinlymphomasymptoms,suchasswollenlymphnodes,feveranddrenchingnightsweats. Butmanypeoplearediagnosedwithfollicularlymphomabeforetheydevelopsymptoms.Peoplewho’reingoodhealthanddon’thavesymptomsmaynotneedimmediatetreatment.Healthcareprovidersmayrecommendwatchfulwaiting.Inwatchfulwaiting,healthcareprovidersmonitoryouroverallhealthandsymptoms. Follicularlymphomamayaffectyouremotionalwell-beinglongbeforeitaffectsyourphysicalwell-being.Arecentstudyshowedpeoplewithfollicularlymphomaandotherslow-growinglymphomasstrugglewithanxietybecausetheydon’tknowifthey’lldevelopsymptomsorneedtostarttreatment. Isfollicularlymphomaaseriousillness? Yes,follicularlymphomacanbeaseriousandchallengingillness.Here’swhy: Transformation:FollicularlymphomacanchangeortransformintodiffuselargeB-celllymphoma(DLBCL).Thisisamoreaggressivecancerthattypicallycausesnewandmoresignificantsymptoms,includingspreadingcancerintootherareasofyourbody.About3%ofpeoplewhohavefollicularlymphomadevelopDLBCL. Relapse:Follicularlymphomasymptomsoftensubsideaftertreatmentandthencomeback.Thiscycleofremission-relapse-remissionmeanspeoplewhohavefollicularlymphomafeelasifthey’reneverabletosaythey’re“done”withtreatment. SymptomsandCauses Whatarethesignsandsymptomsoffollicularlymphoma? Generalsymptomsmayinclude: Painlessswellinginyourneck,armpitorgroincausedbyenlargedlymphnodes. Feverthatinfectionorotherillnessiscausing. Weightlosswithnoknowncause,particularlylosing10%ormoreofyourweightwithinthepastsixmonths. Sweatingandchills.Drenchingnightsweatsandchillsthatdon’tgoawaymaybeasignofillness,includingfollicularlymphoma. Fatigue.Thisisanongoingsenseoffeelingsotiredthatyoucan’tmanageyourdailyactivities. Whatcausesfollicularlymphoma? Researchersdon’tknowallofthefactorsthatcausefollicularlymphoma.Theydoknowchangesinpeople’schromosomescauseabout85%ofcases.Thechangesallowunhealthyorcancerouscellstomultiplyandgrow. DiagnosisandTests Howdohealthcareprovidersdiagnosefollicularlymphoma? Healthcareprovidersmayuseseveralteststodiagnosefollicularlymphoma: Biopsy:Healthcareprovidersmaytakelymphnodetissuesamplestotestforsignsofcancer. Positronemissiontomography(PET)scans:Healthcareprovidersusethistesttoobservecancercellactivityandestablishacancergrade. Computedtomography(CT)scan:Thistesthelpshealthcareprovidersmonitorcancerandevaluatetreatmentresponse. Whatarethestagesoffollicularlymphoma? Healthcareprovidersestablishcancerstagessotheyknowwhatkindoftreatmentmaybebesttotreatthecancer.FollicularlymphomastagesrangefromItoIV: StageI:Cancerisfoundinoneormorelymphnodes.Healthcareprovidersdiagnoseabout25%ofallfollicularlymphomacasesatthisstage. StageII:Cancerisfoundinlymphnodesaboveorbelowyourdiaphragm.Healthcareprovidersdiagnoseabout15%ofallfollicularlymphomacasesatthisstage. StageIII:Cancerisfoundinlymphnodesonbothsidesofyourdiaphragm.Healthcareprovidersdiagnoseabout26%ofallfollicularlymphomacasesatthisstage. StageIV:Cancerhasspreadoutsideofthelymphnodestobonemarrowand/otherorgansystems.Healthcareprovidersdiagnoseabout27%ofallfollicularlymphomaatthisstage. ManagementandTreatment Howdohealthcareproviderstreatfollicularlymphoma? Healthcareprovidersmayuseacombinationofwatchfulwaitingandtherapytotreatfollicularlymphoma.Here’smoreinformationabouteachpotentialtreatment: Watchfulwaitingoractivesurveillance:Ifyourhealthcareproviderrecommendswatchfulwaiting,you’llhaveregularappointmentssotheycandophysicalexaminations,laboratorytestsandimagingtests. Radiationtherapy:Healthcareprovidersmayuseradiationtherapytotreatearly-stagefollicularlymphoma. Monoclonalantibodytherapy:Healthcareprovidersuselab-createdantibodiesdesignedtofindandkillspecificcancercells. Chemotherapy:Healthcareprovidersmayusechemotherapyaloneorcombinechemotherapywithothertreatments. Targetedtherapy:Targetedtherapyusesdrugsorothersubstancestoattackcancercellswithouthurtingnormalcells. Immunotherapy:Immunotherapystimulatesyourimmunesystem.Treatmentscanfuelyourbody’sproductionofcancer-fightingcellsorhelphealthycellsidentifyandattackcancercells. Bonemarrow/stemcelltransplantation:Healthcareprovidersmayrecommendthistreatmentiffollicularlymphomacomesbackafterchemotherapy. Prevention Canfollicularlymphomabeprevented? Unfortunately,researchershaven’tidentifiedwaystoreducetheriskofdevelopingthiscondition.Ifyou’reconcernedyoumaybeatrisk,askyourhealthcareprovidertoreviewyourmedicalhistory,includingyourfamilymedicalhistory. Outlook/Prognosis Howlongcanyoulivewithfollicularlymphoma? Follicularlymphomaisaslow-growingconditionthat’sconsideredachronicillness.Studiesabouthalfofallpeoplediagnosedwithfollicularlymphomaarealivenearly20yearsafterdiagnosis.About90%ofpeoplearealivefiveyearsafterdiagnosis. LivingWith HowdoItakecareofmyself? Self-careisanimportantpartoflivingwithcancer.Self-caresuggestionsinclude: Establishgoodeatingandexercisehabits.Asktospeakwithanutritionistforhealthymenuideas. Fatigueisacommonsymptomandtreatmentsideeffect.Payattentiontoyourbodyandrestwhenyouneedtorest,notjustwhenyoucan. Youmaybelivingwithcancerforalongtime.That’sgoodnewsofcourse,butchronicillnessmaybechallenging.Talkingtoatherapistorfindingasupportgroupmayhelpyounavigatethechallenges. WhenshouldIseemyhealthcareprovider? Ifyou’vebeendiagnosedwithfollicularlymphoma,yourhealthcareproviderwillsetascheduleoffollow-upappointmentstomonitoryourconditionand/oryourtreatment.Butyoushouldcontactyourhealthcareproviderassoonaspossibleifyounoticechangesinyourbodythatmaybesignsoffollicularlymphomasymptoms. AnotefromClevelandClinic Cancerisnevereasy,evenaslow-growingformofcancerlikefollicularlymphoma.Peoplewhohavefollicularlymphomamaynothavesymptomsforseveralyears.Butwhentheydo,theymayfindthemselvescyclingtreatment,remission,relapseandthenmoretreatment,withnoendorcureinsight.Butresearchersareusingdifferenttreatmentsthatmaydomoretomovefollicularlymphomafromthelistofchronicdiseasestothelistofcurablediseases.Ifyouhavefollicularlymphoma,talktoyourhealthcareprovideraboutyourtreatmentoptions. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy RelatedInstitutes&Services ClevelandClinicCancerCenter ClevelandClinicCancerCenterprovidesworld-classcaretopatientswithcancerandisattheforefrontofnewandemergingclinical,translationalandbasiccancerresearch. ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy Morehealthnews+info ShowMore CancerAnswerLine866.223.8100 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment DownloadaTreatmentGuide SearchClinicalTrials Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Snapchat