Treating Cutaneous Lymphoma
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damaging proteins or DNA so that cancer cells will die. Chemo
treatments target any rapidly-dividing cells (not necessarily just
cancer cells), but normal cells usually recover from chemical-induced
damage while cancer cells cannot. Chemotherapy is generally used
to treat cancer that has become systemic and advanced because the
medications travel throughout the entire body. Treatment occurs in
cycles so the body has time to heal between doses. Some side effects
include hair loss, nausea, fatigue or vomiting. Combination therapies
often include multiple types of chemotherapy or chemotherapy
combined with other treatments.
• Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation is considered in cases for
patients with advanced disease. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation
is the recommended transplantation method for advanced cutaneous
lymphoma patients. However, most cutaneous lymphoma patients
will never need to evaluate this option. Stem cell transplantation
refers to a procedure where healthy stem cells are transplanted from
one individual to another, or from an individual back to his or herself.
Sources of stem cells include bone marrow, peripheral blood or
umbilical cord blood. Hematopoietic stem cells can grow into any of
the cells found within the bloodstream. They make blood cells and
the components that your immune system needs to function. During
a transplant, your body is infused with healthy stem cells which then
grow and produce all of the different parts of the blood that both your
body and your immune system need.
Before you begin a treatment protocol, you will want to learn as much as
possible about the course of action that your healthcare team has designed.
Write down questions about your illness, treatments, or side effects to
discuss with your doctor. Take someone with you when you go for doctor
visits – that way, you won’t miss important information with an extra set of
ears present. You may even want to tape-record your healthcare visits for
later review providing you obtain permission from your doctor beforehand.
To help you decide which treatment path is right for you, there are some
good questions to ask your healthcare team besides “what are side effects?”
and “how well does this treatment work?” See the following page for
suggested questions.
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