What Are Treatments for Hodgkin Lymphoma? - HealthTree for Multiple Myeloma

Hodgkin lymphoma, also known as hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the body's immune system. Hodgkin lymphoma can start anywhere, but it most often starts in lymph nodes in the upper part of the body. The most common symptom of hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit, or groin. Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer. Treatment options for hodgkin lymphoma include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and stem cell transplant.

1. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for most people with hodgkin lymphoma. It uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The specific drugs used in chemotherapy for hodgkin lymphoma include Adriamycin (doxorubicin), Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine. These drugs are often used together in a regimen known as ABVD. Another regimen, known as BEACOPP, includes the drugs Bleomycin, Etoposide, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Oncovin (vincristine), Procarbazine, and Prednisone.

2. Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill cancer cells. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy. The specific type of radiation therapy used in hodgkin lymphoma is called external beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body.

3. Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. In hodgkin lymphoma, the immunotherapy drug used is called Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris). This drug is a monoclonal antibody that targets a protein called CD30, which is found on the surface of hodgkin lymphoma cells.

4. Stem Cell Transplant

A stem cell transplant is a procedure that replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Stem cell transplant is usually considered for hodgkin lymphoma only after other treatments have failed. There are two types of stem cell transplants: autologous (using your own stem cells) and allogeneic (using stem cells from a donor).