Chemotherapy is traditionally the primary treatment method for lymphoma, including its two most common forms: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin. However, alternatives to chemotherapy are emerging as both first-line treatments and backup options, according to Stephen Ansell, M.D., Ph.D., hematology chair and hematologic oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that originates when a germ-fighting white blood cell, known as a lymphocyte, mutates and multiplies rapidly. In 2022 alone, there were approximately half a million new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 82,409 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma. These figures make them the 10th and 26th most commonly diagnosed cancers that year respectively, based on the latest statistics from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. Symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, itchy skin, night sweats, fever, persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss and shortness of breath.
Dr. Ansell has prioritized developing innovative therapies to enhance lymphoma outcomes for patients. "It's about improving outcomes while minimizing side effects — using treatments that can specifically target the cancer and have less of an impact on the body's healthy, normal cells," Dr. Ansell explains. He further adds that a high percentage of patients experience cure from their lymphoma but they often have to deal with long-term complications. The aim is to optimize outcomes while minimizing these long-term issues.
Dr. Ansell's research includes work with Mayo's Early Cancer Therapeutics Group which offers patients whose cancers haven't responded to chemotherapy the chance to participate in early phase clinical trials of potential new treatments.
People with lymphoma may receive chemotherapy alone or in combination with non-chemotherapy treatments such as immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy), targeted therapy, bone marrow transplant and radiation therapy, according to Dr. Ansell.
Unfortunately, there is no known method to prevent lymphoma. However, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help patients better cope with cancer treatments and achieve improved outcomes, Dr. Ansell advises.
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