Your doctor will run a series of tests and perform a biopsy to make a diagnosis. With proper and prompt treatment, I have many patients with lymphoma who have lived well into their 80s and 90s.
Radiation therapy is the primary form of treatment for Hodgkin’s disease; chemotherapy may also be used. In some cases of Hodgkin’s disease, bone marrow is removed after the initial radiation treatment to allow for higher doses of medication and chemotherapy. The marrow is then replaced after the treatment.
Unfortunately, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more difficult to treat and cure. Both chemotherapy and radiation are used to treat non-Hodgkin’s disease, though usually only in the beginning and middle stages of the cancer. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is an incurable disease, though the survival rate can be as high as 75% for 10 years if it’s caught and treated early.
Today, if Hodgkin’s disease is caught early, it can be cured. There are even many professional athletes who have returned to successful careers after treatment for Hodgkin’s disease. I have seen many young patients with lymphoma who, when treated early and aggressively, have thrived and gone on to live long, healthy lives. One good example is the hockey player Mario Lemieux.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more serious and frequently involves a prolonged course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Like Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma must be treated early and aggressively for the best results. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common in people over 50, such as Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
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