Lymphoma

Almost half of blood and lymphatic cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are a form of lymphoma. Many new treatments have been developed for lymphoma, and more are being tested in clinical trials. Because of this, it’s important that you work with a team, like the doctors and advanced practice providers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, who have expertise in lymphoma and are committed to not only following the latest research, but also leading this research.

Doctors at Hollings are involved in research to determine the best treatments with the least side effects, and Hollings offers a number of clinical trials for people with blood or lymphatic cancers. Lymphoma clinical trials may offer access to new treatments before they become widely available.

What is lymphoma? | Symptoms | Treatment | Care Locations | Common Questions | Latest News

What is lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, in the lymph system. There are two main types of lymphoma — Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each of these types of lymphoma has several sub-types. Our board-certified hematologist-oncologists have experience in treating:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
• Mantle cell lymphoma.
• Lymphoblastic lymphoma.
• Burkitt lymphoma.
• Follicular lymphoma.
• Marginal zone lymphoma.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma.
• Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
• Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Other subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Have more questions about lymphoma? Check out our answers to common questions.

Lymphoma symptoms

B symptoms can indicate how much the disease has spread. They are:

• Drenching night sweats.
• Loss of 10% of body weight without trying within six months.
• Persistent fever over 100.4 degrees for no apparent reason.

Other symptoms of lymphoma include:

• Fatigue. Tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest.
• Painless swelling in lymph nodes that doesn’t go away; for example, in the groin, armpit or neck.
• Cough and shortness of breath or chest discomfort.
• Itchy skin.
• Bruising easily.
• Loss of appetite or feeling full quickly.
• Chills.

Lymphoma treatment

Watchful waiting

Some cancers are indolent, or slow-growing, and aren’t causing problems at the moment. In these cases, close observation can make more sense than jumping straight to a treatment that may have side effects.

Chemotherapy

Medications, given as pills or by an infusion into the bloodstream, to kill cancer cells.

Blood and marrow transplant (BMT)

MUSC Health was the first hospital to perform a bone marrow transplant in South Carolina, and the first program in the world to perform an outpatient transplant with an unrelated donor. A BMT wipes out the cancer cells with high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and then gives you a dose of healthy stem cells that will begin producing new, healthy blood cells.

Immunotherapy, including CAR-T cell therapy

Hollings offers adult and pediatric CAR-T cell therapy programs that help your body recognize, and fight, cancer cells. Using state-of-the-art technology, our researchers are working to purify T-cells to reduce side effects and improve outcomes.

Targeted therapy

Medications that look for specific features on cancer cells and reduce harm to nearby normal cells.

Radiation therapy

Radiation can improve cancer-related symptoms, or be used to cure cancer itself. For example, it could be targeted toward a painful, swollen spleen or toward bone pain. In specific cases, radiation therapy treats the cancer with or without additional therapy.

Specialized services for lymphoma patients

• HOPE Unit. The Hematologic Oncologic Protective Environment unit on the 7th floor of MUSC Health’s Ashley River Tower is a technologically advanced inpatient unit designed for immunocompromised patients that uses the same sophisticated HEPA filtration system found in operating rooms.
• Total Skin Electron Beam Therapy. Hollings is the only cancer center in South Carolina to offer total skin electron beam therapy, a highly specialized form of radiation therapy, for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
• Charleston Hope Lodge. The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, which provides free housing for patients and a companion, is located one block from Hollings.

Refer a lymphoma patient

To refer a lymphoma patient to Hollings, please call patient referral coordinator Debra Oree at 843-985-0567.

Nurse navigator support

Our blood and lymphatic cancer nurse navigators, Bonnie Boyce, BSN, RN, OCN, and Katie Fitzmaurice, RN, BSN, CPN, will help you understand what to expect during treatment and answer questions you may have.

Clinical trials for lymphoma

Clinical trials are how we know which treatments work; results from clinical trials determine what becomes the standard of care across cancer centers. As a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, Hollings takes an active part in clinical trials to continue advancing knowledge of cancer care.

Why might you participate in a clinical trial? First, there are different types of trials. Some test a new medication. Others look at ways to improve quality of life. Your doctor may suggest a clinical trial believing that you could benefit from it. Because therapies in clinical trials have the potential to become the standard of care in the future, you could possibly have earlier access to a new treatment. You will also be helping future cancer patients, who will benefit from the information created during the trial. Either way, know that participating in a cancer clinical trial means that you will receive at least the standard of care, and possibly something extra.

Learn more about clinical trials at Hollings and see our current lymphoma clinical trials and blood and lymphatic cancer clinical trials.

Lymphoma common questions

Have you or a loved one received a lymphoma diagnosis? You probably have a lot of questions. There’s a lot of information to take in after a cancer diagnosis. Your doctor can answer questions specific to your care, but we have compiled a list of some of the most common questions for your reference below.

Latest lymphoma news