Lymphoma Treatment

The goal of treatment is to get rid of the cancer cells with as little damage as possible to normal cells, while also limiting difficult side effects of treatment. The most common treatments for Hodgkin's disease include chemotherapy drugs, (the cocktail ABVD is now the gold standard) often with radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. Other drug therapies used to boost the immune system include interferon and monoclonal antibodies.

Chemotherapy and high-dose radiation kill bone marrow cells responsible for producing red and white blood cells and platelets. Therefore, your doctor may recommend that you undergo a transplant of bone marrow or stem cells.