Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treatment

Overview. Whenever possible, patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma should have their treatment planned by a multidisciplinary team of doctors with expertise in treating lymphomas—including specialists in oncology, neurology, and hematology—such as those found at The Lacks Cancer Center. There are a variety of adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma treatment options available. However, the choice of treatment depends on the age, gender, size and the subtype of the disease. Ultimately, there are three standard forms of treatment used either individually or in combination:

Chemotherapy. This treatment uses potent drugs to eradicate, shrink, slow the growth of cancer, or prevent it from spreading. Typically, a combination of drugs is administered intravenously (directly into the veins) in a series of treatments over a period of weeks or months, with breaks in between so that the patient’s body can recover.

Currently, the ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine drugs) chemotherapy regimen is the gold standard for treatment of Hodgkin's disease. This treatment generally takes between six and eight months to undergo, although longer treatments may be required. Another form of chemotherapy treatment is the newer Stanford V regimen, which on the whole only takes half as long as the ABVD but involves a more intensive treatment schedule and incorporates radiation therapy.

Radiation Therapy. The primary objective of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells while harming as little normal tissue as possible. This therapy may be used before, during and/or after chemotherapy, and is delivered in one of two ways depending on the type and stage of cancer being treated. Radiation can either be administered to the affected area(s) from outside the body or, in other instances, inserted through a needle or catheter into or near the cancer.

Stem Cell Transplant. The stem cell transplantation process is a complex and lengthy one. The patient is initially treated with radiation therapy and/or high doses of drugs, which destroy both the abnormal and normal blood cells in the bone marrow. The patient then receives healthy stem cells through a flexible tube that is placed in a large vein in the neck or chest area. These new blood cells will continue to produce healthy blood cells in the marrow.

Stem cell transplants occur in specialized centers around the state and country. The Lacks Cancer Center partners with those centers to provide this key inpatient therapy at those centers.

Seek the most aggressive treatments available from our multidisciplinary team with a referral from your primary care physician or with a self-referral by calling 1-877-LACKS-MI or 616-685-LACK(S).