Follicular lymphoma, also known as center cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a cancer that affects the b-lymphocytes. B-cell lymphocytes are the white blood cells that help defend the body against illness. Follicular describes the type of cell the cancer affects. B-cells are created in the bone marrow and mature and differentiate into many cell types that migrate to different areas of the body, according to Lymphomation.org.
Watchful Waiting
Follicular lymphoma is often indolent, or slow growing. The initial course of treatment for follicular lymphoma is commonly what physicians refer to as watchful waiting. Lymphomation.org reports that indolent lymphomas can often remain stable for as long as twenty years. Watchful waiting commonly involves physicians monitoring patients on a scheduled basis to look for changes from the initial visit. Physicians may run blood tests, computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging or x-ray scans in order to observe even slight changes.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals or medications to kill or prevent the growth of the cells that cause cancer. The Lymphoma Research Foundation explains that the common drugs used for the treatment of indolent follicular lymphoma include cyclophosphamide, vincristine, rituximab and doxorubicin. Chemotherapy agents work by targeting cells that divide rapidly, such as cancer cells. However, chemotherapy agents cannot only target cancer cells, and so other rapidly dividing cells such as hair, skin and the interior lining of the stomach and intestines may die because of chemotherapy. This often leads to side effects such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, burning sensation of the mouth and skin rashes.
Radioimmunotherapy
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society explains that radioimmunotherapy, also known as RIT, is cancer treatment that combines two types of therapies: radiation therapy and monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are man-made immune proteins that target and attach to a specified cell surface. Radiation-emitting molecules, known as radioisotopes, attach to these antibodies. These monoclonal antibodies target cancer cells carrying the radioisotopes to the cancer cells, resulting in localized target-specific irradiation. Once attached to the surface of the cancer cell, the radiation therapy can kill the cancer cells. Medications commonly used in radioimmunotherapy are Bexxar or Zevalin.
Stem Cell Transplants
Stem cells have the ability to renew and differentiate into many different specialized cells. Physicians use bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in more aggressive lymphoma treatments, according to the American Cancer Society. Chemotherapy kills healthy bone marrow preventing the formation of new blood cells. This often causes an increased risk for bleeding, an increase in infections and a lack of oxygen to the tissues and organs. Stem cell transplantation allows physicians to use higher doses of chemotherapy because they can now use stem cells to replenish the healthy cells that died as a result of the chemotherapy.
Physicians collect stem cells from bone marrow or blood, dependent upon the type of cells needed. Patients donating peripheral blood stem cells undergo a procedure much like traditional blood donation whereas patients donating bone marrow stem cells need to undergo a surgical procedure.
References
- Lymphomation.org: Follicular Lymphoma
- Lymphomation.org: Watchful Waiting
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Radioimmunotherapy As a Treatment for Lymphoma
- Lymphoma Research Foundation: Indolent Follicular Lymphoma
- American Cancer Society: Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Type---Bone Marrow or Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation
