Lymphoma that starts in the brain or spinal cord is called central nervous system lymphoma, or CNS lymphoma, according to the American Cancer Society. The National Brain Tumor Society estimates that this kind of cancer makes up 3 percent of all brain tumors and is typically found in people older than 60 and individuals who are immunocompromised. Although surgery is not typically an option for this cancer because of the widespread nature of the disease, other treatments are available.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other kinds of radiation to slow down or kill cancer cell growth, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). External radiation uses a machine to send radiation to the cancerous areas, and internal radiation involves using radioactive seeds or pellets placed directly into the cancerous area. Because radiation damages healthy tissue as well as cancerous tissue, radiation to the brain can have several side effects, including problems with thinking, problem solving, memory and speech.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells and is a standard treatment for CSN lymphoma. One of the challenges with chemotherapy for this kind of lymphoma is that many of the usual chemotherapy drugs that are effective in other kinds of lymphoma are not effective for this kind because they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, according to the American Cancer Society. This means that if they are given intravenously, the drugs cannot get into the brain and kill the cancer cells. A primary chemotherapy regimen involves high doses of the drug methotrexate given with the drug leucovorin and intravenous fluids, which help reduce side effects of the high-dose treatment. Other medications may or may not be added to this drug regimen, depending on your health and the cancer's response to the drugs.
Steroid Therapy
The body naturally makes hormones called steroids, and steroids can also be artificially made in a laboratory. These hormones act like anti-cancer substances against lymphoma, and glucocorticoids are steroids that can help slow down and kill CNS lymphoma cancer cells.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that are closely monitored to explore new drugs or treatment options for different cancers. Participants can leave the trial at any time, but each trial has restrictions and various criteria individuals need to meet to take part in the trial. If you are interested in finding a clinical trial, talk to your health care provider about whether a trial would be beneficial to you.
