Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma has a very good success rate - even if the disease has spread to other parts of the body - and around 9 out of 10 people are cured.
Deciding on the best treatment involves your doctors looking at where the cancer is - a term called the stage.
- Stage 1 - One group of lymph nodes is affected.
- Stage 2 - Two or more groups of lymph nodes are affected on the same side of the diaphragm (the sheet of muscle underneath the lungs).
- Stage 3 - Lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm are affected.
- Stage 4 - The lymphoma has spread outside the lymph nodes and is affecting the liver, lungs or bone marrow.
A further type of grading - A or B - is often given for Hodgkin lymphoma. 'A' means you show no specific symptoms of the condition, while 'B' means you do. With 'B' symptoms you might be experiencing night sweats, fever or weight loss.
Waiting to hear about the stage of the cancer can feel pretty scary, but this information is important, as it helps your doctors plan the right treatment.
There's one final term that you should know - recurrent cancer means the cancer has come back after initial treatment.
There are two main types of treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma: chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Most people will need a combination of these treatments to get back on track, but the exact treatment plan will depend on your age and general health, plus the stage and type of the cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherpay can be given on its own or in combination with radiotherapy.
If the cancer does not respond well to standard chemotherapy, or returns after initial treatment, then high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support can be used.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. It can be used on its own to treat Hodgkin lymphoma that's in the early stages.
