Treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of NHL you have and where it has spread to (the stage). It also depends on how fast it is growing (the grade) and your general health.
Treatment might include chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy drugs, steroids, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
Your treatment depends on what type of NHL you have. If you know what type you have, you can read more about your treatment by selecting your type from the 'types of NHL' menu page.
Treatment options for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The main treatment options for NHL are chemotherapy, targeted cancer drugs, steroids, radiotherapy and stem cell transplant.
Chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. You might have a combination of different chemotherapy drugs.
Targeted cancer drugs for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Targeted cancer drugs work by ‘targeting’ the differences that help a cancer cell grow and survive. Rituximab is a common targeted drug for NHL.
Radiotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Radiotherapy uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells. You might have it as part of your NHL treatment.
Stem cell transplants for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
A stem cell transplant allows you to have high doses of chemotherapy. You then have new stem cells which go into the bone marrow so you can start making blood cells again.
CAR T-cell therapy
CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy. It is also called adoptive cell transfer. It's a possible treatment for some children and adults with leukaemia. It is also a treatment for some adults with lymphoma.
Surgery for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Surgery isn’t a common treatment for NHL. You might have surgery to remove your spleen for a rare type of NHL called splenic marginal zone lymphoma.
Follow up after treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
After your treatment, you have regular follow up appointments. These are to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or worries.
If non-Hodgkin lymphoma doesn't go away or comes back
NHL that does not respond to treatment is called refractory lymphoma. NHL that comes back after treatment is called relapsed disease.
