Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treatment at Jefferson
If you are diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the experienced team at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia can carefully guide you through available treatment options that address all your medical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Bringing together the expertise of Jefferson medical oncologists, pathologists, radiation therapists, your medical team will conduct a thorough evaluation and devise a personalized treatment plan based on the nature of your cancer and its progression.
Treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma usually involves a combination of radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells and chemotherapy. Your medical team will help you weigh the benefits and risks of each treatment so you can choose the option that is best for you.
In advanced cases, physicians may perform bone marrow stem cell transplantation to replace cells damaged by chemotherapy with healthy ones. Specialists in Jefferson's transplant program are pioneering efforts to reduce complications of transplant procedures, such as a potentially fatal reaction called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in which the donor marrow attacks its new host.
Preventing GVHD
The standard method for preventing GVHD, which involves delivering
chemotherapy drugs prior to transplantation, can weaken the immune
system, which may cause infections and even secondary cancers. Through
this novel procedure developed at Jefferson, chemotherapy drugs are
administered after the introduction of T cells but before stem cells are
given. As a result, GVHD-causing cells are killed, while sparing cells
that restore the immune system. In clinical trials, this approach is
bringing individuals lacking well-matched donors quicker, broader access
to transplants with better results.
Support for You and Your Family
At Jefferson, we will provide you and your family a support network that includes specially trained nurses, educators, fellow patients and cancer survivors.
Among the wide variety of support programs offered at Jefferson is our Buddy Program, which matches cancer patients with trained volunteer cancer survivors who have been through treatment themselves. These volunteers provide one-on-one support either over the telephone or on-site in the waiting area at the Bodine Center for Radiation Therapy/Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. You can also access services to meet your emotional and psychological needs during your course of treatment through the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine.