Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma
If you have Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), your healthcare team will create a treatment plan just for you. It will be based on your health and specific information about the cancer. When deciding which treatments to offer for HL, your healthcare team will consider:
- the type of HL
- the stage
- the areas of the body affected by HL
- if you have B symptoms (specific symptoms that affect the whole body, like fever)
- if you have any unfavourable (adverse) risk factors, such as bulky (large) tumours
- your age
- your overall health
- your risk of short-term or late side effects
HL is generally treated using chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy. Find out more about treatments for classical HL and treatments for nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL. Changes to the treatment plan may be made based on your response to treatment.
Treatments for classical Hodgkin lymphoma
The following are treatment options for classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The types of treatments given are based on the unique needs of the person with cancer.
Treatments for nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma
The following are treatment options for nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. The types of treatments given are based on the unique needs of the person with cancer.
Treatments for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma
Relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) means that the cancer has come back after treatment. Primary refractory HL means that the cancer is resistant to the initial treatment.
Radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells. It may be used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).
Chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma
Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).
Stem cell transplant for Hodgkin lymphoma
A stem cell transplant may be used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). A stem cell transplant replaces a person’s stem cells. It is used to restore bone marrow when it has been damaged by disease or destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Targeted therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma
Targeted therapy uses drugs to target specific molecules on cancer cells. Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is sometimes treated with targeted therapy.
Immunotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma
Immunotherapy is sometimes used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Immunotherapy helps to strengthen or restore the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Immunotherapy is sometimes called biological therapy.
Follow-up after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) behaves differently in each person, and a standard follow-up schedule would not work for everyone. People with HL should talk to their doctor about a follow-up plan that suits their individual situation. Follow-up care is often shared among the cancer specialists (oncologists, radiation therapist) and your family doctor.