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.

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For Appointments 843-792-9300

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In good hands

You know you're in good hands at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. Here, you have access to the latest innovations in cancer treatment, including clinical trials, advanced surgical techniques, support services and survivorship planning. You can rest easy knowing we hold national rankings for cancer care and take a leadership role in cancer research and prevention.

The Hollings difference

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.

“ Having had such an amazing experience with all of the people who took care of me through my cancer diagnosis and treatment and everything thereafter, I just really like the people here, and I want to learn how to be a doctor in a setting where the doctors are so great. ”

Hannah Neimy, lymphoma survivor and MUSC medical student
Hannah's story

a smiling woman stands in a garden wearing a white coat

“ It shows what these people at Hollings are doing. They took me – and I was really struggling when I came here in November – and in a little bit over three months, they turned me around. ”

Ted Kopacko, CAR-T cell therapy patient and lymphoma survivor
Ted's story

“ I don’t find shame in mental health. I don’t find that it’s anything you need to hide. It’s something that needs to be discussed so we can prevent things like suicide and self-harm. People need to know they’re not alone. ”

Liza Patterson, lymphoma survivor
Liza's story

Lymphoma treatment

a patient sitting up in a hospital bed watches as a nurse checks an IV and another nurse looks on in the background

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.

illustration of CAR T cells attacking cancer cells

Delivering cutting-edge care

For certain patients, Hollings offers CAR-T cell therapy, which is an innovative treatment that can be very powerful. In the lab, your T-cells are primed to attack a protein found on cancer cells and then returned to your body as more efficient and effective cancer fighters.

CAR-T Cell Therapy

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 Research

Each day, Hollings researchers are studying how to improve treatment and give you the best outcome possible. Some recent research includes:

In addition, Hollings’ dedicated Hematologic Malignancies Transdisciplinary Cancer Team brings together expertise from different disciplines in basic and clinical research for monthly meetings to collaborate on ongoing blood and lymphatic cancer research.

Our experts specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of blood and lymphatic cancers. Our team will develop a customized treatment plan designed to give you the best possible outcome.

Meet the team

Dr. Katie Schmitt guides a patient doing a physical therapy exercise with a metal bar

Support from start to finish

We pride ourselves on our holistic approach to cancer care. We offer you many resources to help you throughout your cancer journey, including financial counseling, physical therapy, nutrition services, and support groups.

Patient Resources

Blood & Lymphatic Cancer Care Locations

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Downtown

86 Jonathan Lucas Street

Charleston, SC 29425

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9300

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Hematology Oncology Hollings

Hollings Cancer Center

86 Jonathan Lucas Street

Floor: Two & Three

Charleston, SC 29425

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9300

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Hematology Oncology East Cooper

East Cooper Medical Pavilion

1600 Midtown Avenue

Floor: 3

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9300

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Hematology Oncology Elms Center

2575 Elms Center Road

Suite: 100

North Charleston, SC 29406

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9300

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Benign Hematology at Ashley River Tower

Ashley River Tower

25 Courtenay Drive

Floor: 2

Charleston, SC 29425

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9200

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Hematology Oncology Florence

Florence Medical Center

Medical Mall A

805 Pamplico Highway

Suite: 315

Florence, SC 29505

Directions

Scheduling: 843-792-9300

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MUSC Health H.F. Mabry Cancer Center

1161 Cook Road

Orangeburg, SC 29118

Directions

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Oncology Infusion Clinic Kershaw

1315 Roberts Street

Camden, South Carolina 29020

Directions

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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.

How is lymphoma diagnosed?

Lymphoma is diagnosed through biopsy. A biopsy is when a doctor removes some tissue where cancer is suspected and gives it to a pathologist, a doctor trained in examining tissue under a microscope. When lymphoma is suspected, all or part of a lymph node is removed.

Is lymphoma curable?

The answer depends, in large part, on the type of lymphoma that you have. There are many different types of lymphoma, and some are more easily curable than others. Often, slower growing or less aggressive lymphomas are not completely cured, but instead managed over the course of years or decades similar to conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. More aggressive lymphomas may require more rapid treatment or chemotherapy.

How long can you live with lymphoma without knowing?

Depending on the type of lymphoma, you may not have obvious symptoms for weeks, months, or even years. Quickly growing lymphomas can be more easily recognized, while some forms of chronic lymphoma may go undiagnosed for several years.

What is the life expectancy for someone with lymphoma?

Cancer statistics are based on five-year survival rates — this means the percentage of people diagnosed with a specific cancer who are alive five years later. The statistics don’t measure how long people survive beyond five years. And because the statistics are for people who were diagnosed several years ago, they don’t take into account newer treatments.

There are many subtypes of lymphoma, and survival rates are different for each subtype. In general, though, the five-year survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 74% and the five-year survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is 89%.

How old are most people when they're diagnosed with lymphoma?

There are two main types of lymphoma, and they tend to be diagnosed at different stages of life. The most common age group for Hodgkin lymphoma is young adults between 20 and 34. The most common age group for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is older adults between 65 and 74.

What is the quality of life for someone with lymphoma?

Cancer can be tough. There will be difficult days — there's no getting around that. But many of our patients lead full and enriching lives doing the things that they love with the people that they love. Our doctors and nurses understand how important quality of life is — talk to your doctor about the things that are important to you.

You may also find it helpful to connect with a support group. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society sponsors a local support group facilitated by Hollings social worker Kristin Farris.

Latest lymphoma news

a doctor casually leans on a hospital bed in upright position to chat with the patient sitting in it

CAR-T Clinical Trial

CAR-T-cell therapy can be a powerful treatment for blood cancers, but it also has significant side effects. A clinical trial at Hollings seeks to change that.

a doctor speaks with a patient in an exam room

Preventing Cancer's Return

An MUSC Hollings Cancer Center doctor is leading a national trial to test whether drugs used after large B-cell lymphoma returns could instead prevent relapse.

a man sits in a relaxed manner in a comfortable chair and chats with a woman across the room

CAR-T Therapy

CAR-T-cell therapy has given one lymphoma survivor another chance to see the world with his wife.