Lymphoma Treatment in AU and NZ
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system manages fluid levels in the body and helps us fight infections. Lymphoma is quite common and can cause things like swollen lymph nodes, fever, tiredness and weight loss.
Radiation Therapy and Lymphoma
The best person to talk to about radiation therapy for lymphoma is a radiation oncologist. A radiation oncologist is a specialist doctor who is part of the team that takes care of people having radiation therapy.
You can ask your doctor for a referral to a radiation oncologist to learn if radiation therapy is an option for you.
The Treatment Team
Doctors make a treatment plan for each person based on:
- the type of lymphoma
- where the lymphoma
- what other treatments have been tried
- the person’s health.
The type of treatment a person gets is worked out by a team of doctors and health professionals often called a Multidisciplinary Team.
A highly trained radiation oncology team takes care of people having radiation therapy. This includes radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, medical physicists and radiation oncology nurses.
Treatment of Lymphoma
There are a few ways to treat lymphoma. These include observation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
For a slow growing lymphoma, the doctors may keep an eye on it, and only start treatment if the lymphoma gets bigger.
Many lymphomas are very sensitive to radiation therapy and chemotherapy and doctors often treat them with a mix of both.
If a lymphoma comes back after treatment, doctors may use a high dose of chemotherapy with a bone marrow transplant.
Children with lymphoma are treated in special units attached to children’s hospitals. Doctors usually use chemotherapy to treat children.
Types of Radiation Therapy Used for Lymphoma
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
This is the most common type of radiation therapy used for lymphoma.
Radiation Oncologists often use Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT) which is an advanced type of external beam radiation therapy, to carefully deliver radiation to the areas that need to be treated.
Involved site or involved node radiation therapy
This is another way doctors treat lymphoma.
For involved site radiation therapy the treating team use a PET scan to guide where the radiation is targeted.
This advanced technique allow the radiation oncologist to target the radiation on the lymphoma while limiting radiation to healthy parts of the body.
This reduces the chances of long-term side-effects with the same, or even better, chances of cure.
Radiation oncologists often use radiation therapy to treat localised, low grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas. They also use it for early Hodgkin Lymphoma after chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy can lessen pain and bleeding caused by lymphoma. Radiation oncologists also use it to reduce the impact of lymphomas on other body parts. For example, a lymphoma could block part of the lung making it hard to breathe.
Lymphomas are very sensitive to radiation therapy. This means radiation oncologists only need to use small doses to treat them successfully.
The length of treatment can vary from 1-2 sessions up to 20. People usually get radiation treatment daily from Monday-Friday.
General Information About Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is more effective with fewer side effects than ever before.
Recent advances mean radiation oncologists can effectively treat the cancer while getting less radiation on healthy body parts. This means much fewer side effects.
Side effects from radiation therapy vary between people, even for those having the same treatment.
While some people feel no side effects, some feel mild side effects, such as tiredness or skin redness during and/or just after treatment. These usually get better within a few weeks.
The treatment team will offer advice and medicine to help with side effects.
Serious side effects that start later (months to years after the radiation therapy) are rare.
Before starting treatment, your radiation oncologist will talk to you about side effects and answer your questions.
The side effects of radiation treatment can be split into 2 groups:
- Early side effects which occur during and shortly after radiation treatment.
- Late side effects which can occur months to years after radiation treatment.
For more information, go to the Potential Side Effects page.
Early Side Effects of Radiation Therapy for Lymphoma
Early side effects of radiation therapy may include:
Tiredness: Many people feel more tired than usual during and after treatment.
Skin changes: Skin near the treatment area may be red and feel itchy.
Nausea and vomiting: Some people feel sick in their stomach and may vomit. This is more likely if the radiation therapy is near the stomach and intestines.
Hair loss: Radiation therapy on the head and neck can cause hair loss in that area.
Late Side Effects of Radiation Therapy for Lymphoma
Late side effects are quite rare and can happen a few months to a few years after treatment.
These side effects may never occur, occur once, continue over time, or come and go.
Many people treated for lymphoma live long lives. Doctors are careful to keep an eye out for any long-term effects. This is very important for people who have lymphoma as a child.
Rare late side effects depend on where the body was treated and how old the person was. Late effects may include:
Fibrosis: This is when the muscle scars. People may also have dry skin.
Hormone changes: Radiation to some parts of the body can change the way hormones are made. This can lead to thyroid problems or infertility.
Cardiovascular disease: If the heart and large blood vessels were in the radiation field heart disease may develop. Doctors keep a close eye on the heart health of people treated for lymphoma.
Second cancer: Cancers caused by radiation therapy are a very rare side effect.
Breast cancer rates are higher for women under 30 years who had radiation therapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Radiation oncologists carefully weigh up the pros and cons of treatment and talk this through with women before treatment.
Other Useful Resources for Lymphoma
Find additional information about cancer types, research groups, and support groups.
Radiation Oncologist
The best person to talk to is a radiation oncologist. You can ask your doctor for a referral to find out if radiation treatment is right for you.
GPs and Health Professionals
Information for any health professional involved in a patient's cancer care with a particular focus on primary care providers.
Talking to Your Doctor
Your GP or other doctors in the cancer team can organise a referral to a radiation oncologist.
Treatment Centres
Search and find your closest Radiation Oncology Treatment Centre.