Hodgkin's Disease Treatment Options - OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Hodgkin's Disease

Treatment Options

When the physician decides the treatment program for a Hodgkin’s disease patient, certain major factors are taken in consideration, such as: the stage of the disease, the number and location of lymph nodes affected, the age of the patient, the gravity of the symptoms, and the overall health status. The treatment goal is to destroy the malignant cells and bring the disease into the remission stage.

Chemotherapy
One of the most used and effective therapy options for treating Hodgkin’s lymphoma is chemotherapy. This involves different combination of drugs administrated with IV’s and/or orally in order to kill tumor cells. Chemotherapy has certain side effects that can cause a high level of discomfort, such as hair loss (in some cases from the whole body), nausea and vomit, and general weakness.

It is often said about chemotherapy: the more effective the treatment, the more intense the side effects are.

Radiotherapy
Another therapy option for Hodgkin’s lymphoma treatment is radiotherapy, where the tumor area is bombarded with radiation in order to disolve it. This treatment option is used if the cancer is limited to a certain area and may be followed with chemotherapy for a better result or may be used independently. If the cancer relapses after radiotherapy, chemotherapy becomes necessary.

Bone Marrow Transplant
Another treatment option used if chemotherapy and radiotherapy are ineffective is a bone marrow transplant. This procedure involves the transplantation of the patient's own bone marrow or peripheral stem cells. Peripheral stem cells are bone marrow cells accumulated in the bloodstream. Because the chemotherapy destroys these cells, in order for this transplant to be performed peripheral stem cells need to be collected before the treatment and frozen. They will be injected back into the body after the patient is finished with the chemotherapy treatment.

Article by Alina Morrow, MA
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com

Sources
http://www.cancer.org
http://www.cancer.gov
http://www.mayoclinic.com