Lymphatic cancer, also called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, forms a large group of cancers of the lymphatic system, which makes up part of the body's immune system that defends the body from illnesses. According to the National Cancer Institute, these cancers can start in immune cells, such as T cells or B cells, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, spleen or thymus, and are divided into aggressive, or fast-growing cancers and indolent, or slow-growing cancers. Treatments include, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation. (See Reference 1)
Radiation Therapy
The American Cancer Society says radiation may be used as a primary treatment for certain early stage lymphatic cancers and as a treatment to ease pain when the cancer has spread to other organs in advanced stages. Radiation will most likely be used in combination with chemotherapy for more advanced and aggressive lymphatic cancers.
Chemotherapy
Because chemotherapy drugs are distributed throughout the body via the blood stream, the American Cancer Society says chemotherapy is one of the mainstay treatments for lymphatic cancers. It is used alone or in combination with other therapies.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapies use engineered components of the body's immune system that either add to the body's natural defenses against lymphatic cancers or are used to directly attack cancer cells, according to the American Cancer Society. An example of adding to the immune response to lymphatic cancer is interferon, which is a man-made drug that is similar to a hormone-like protein that stimulates white blood cells to fight the cancer. Monoclonal antibodies are examples of immunotherapies that either directly kill lymphoma cells or deliver radiation to lymphoma cells that kills them.
Bone Marrow or Stem Cell Transplantation
According to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which pioneered bone marrow transplants, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant for certain types of lymphatic cancers may be used when initial treatments with chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapies fail to cure the cancer. This treatment involves ablating, or wiping out the diseased bone marrow with radiation or chemotherapy, and replacing it with healthy stem cells either from the patient or from a matched donor.
