What is lymphoma?
Follicular lymphoma is a malignancy that affects lymphocytes, which are white blood cells. They aid in the battle against illnesses in your body. Lymphomas are classified as either Hodgkin's or non- Hodgkin's, depending on which type of white blood cell they impact. Non-lymphoma Hodgkin's is follicular lymphoma.
Follicular Lymphoma: Treatment Options
Follicular Lymphoma Treatment is based on the patient's symptoms, the tumor's aggression, age, and overall health. When a person is diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, the majority of them already have the disease. It's unclear whether normal treatment will be enough to cure these persons of lymphoma. As a result, treatment usually focuses on symptom relief and preventing relapse.
Because follicular lymphoma is slow-growing cancer, it can take years for it to advance, and treatment may not be necessary during that period. If a person has no symptoms and the disease is not harming their organs, early treatment does not always enhance overall survival. As a result, careful observation (a "watch and wait" strategy) is frequently advised.
Features that may warrant Follicular Lymphoma Treatment include one or more of the following:
• Low blood counts
• Fever, weight loss, or night sweats
• Progressively enlarging lymph nodes
People who lack these characteristics are frequently subjected to physical examinations and blood tests on a regular basis.
Stage I disease - Radiation therapy alone may be used to treat some persons with stage I follicular lymphoma. Approximately half of the persons in this scenario can be cured using this method.
Stage II to IV disease - People with stage II to IV follicular lymphoma have a variety of therapy choices. The treatment chosen is determined by the individual's preferences as well as the need for the treatment to effect rapidly (if organ function is threatened by the follicular lymphoma). Chemotherapy combined with anti-CD20 antibodies, sometimes known as chemoimmunotherapy, is commonly used to treat people with stage II to IV cancer.
Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses high-energy beams to reduce or stop the growth of cancer cells in the afflicted lymph nodes (called involved-site radiation). To minimize side effects, radiation therapy must be delivered in tiny daily doses over a period of weeks; the number of weeks depends on the amount of radiation to be administered.