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Blood Cancer and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL)

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a general term that is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Such drugs can be given: intravenously, through a vein; orally, by mouth; subcutaneously, injected under the skin; intramuscularly, injected into a muscle; or intrathecally, injected into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Chemotherapy for lymphoma is varied, because there are so many different forms of this disease. Treatment may rely on a single anticancer medication - that is, single agent chemotherapy - or it may involve combination chemotherapy with a number of different anticancer drugs. Such drugs destroy cancer cells by preventing them from growing and dividing rapidly. Unfortunately, a number of the body's normal, noncancerous cells also divide rapidly and therefore are harmed by chemotherapy. Specifically, the hair follicles, red and white blood cells, platelets (blood particles responsible for clotting), and cells that line the gastrointestinal system may be damaged or destroyed, causing side effects. Such side effects depend upon the type and dose of drugs taken, as well as the length of time that they are used.

Because non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients often are diagnosed with widespread disease, chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment, and drug resistance becomes a primary obstacle to cure.