Treatment for lymphoma usually involves chemotherapy, however other treatments may include radiation therapy or surgery to remove a tumour. The treatment that is delivered will be personalised based on the child’s cancer, age and general health as part of the treatment protocol developed by their Paediatric Haematologist-Oncologist.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that destroy cancer cells. The type of medicine that is delivered, and how often it is needed, will depend on the type of cancer, its response to treatment, and how the child copes throughout the treatment process. Typically, Hodgkin and B-cell lymphomas are treated over a few months to a year while treatment for T-cell lymphoma can take several years.
Radiation therapy may be delivered in conjunction with other treatments such as chemotherapy, or to:
- Urgently treat large tumours in the chest
- Relieve symptoms such as pain
If the lymphoma has relapsed or doesn’t respond well to initial treatments, further treatment may involve stem cell transplantation.