Lymphoma Cancer Center
Lymphoma is a general term for cancers of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is an important part of the body's immune system. Lymphoma first starts from errors that occur in the DNA of lymphocytes (a subset of white blood cells responsible for immunity and fighting infections).

Types of Lymphoma
There are two basic categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin's lymphoma (also called Hodgkin's disease) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The difference between these is in the specific lymphocytes involved. Hodgkin's lymphoma is marked by the presence of an abnormal lymphocyte called the Reed-Sternberg cell (or B lymphocyte). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) includes all other types of lymphoma, and will be discussed in this section.

NHL is the fifth most common cancer in males and females in the United States. There are more than 30 different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including aggressive (fast-growing) or indolent (slow-growing) types.

Lymphoma Risk Factors
Herbicides and insecticides have been linked to risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in studies of farmers, pesticide applicators, and other occupational groups exposed to high levels of these chemicals. Having certain types of infections, such as Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), can also increase the risk of developing lymphoma. NHL is 60 times more common among HIV-positive patients than in the general U.S. population. In addition, some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), have been linked to an increased risk of NHL.

Lymphoma Treatment
Treatment for lymphoma depends on the type and stage of the disease, the size, number, and location of the affected lymph nodes, as well as your age, general health, and other factors. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) provides a variety of innovative lymphoma treatment options that offer new hope and a greater quality of life.

At CTCA, we use many tools to help you fight lymphoma on all fronts. Our cancer experts provide a powerful combination of traditional and new, innovative therapies. Your CTCA care team will work with you to develop a lymphoma treatment plan that is tailored to your needs. Your personalized treatment plan may include various forms of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Additional lymphoma treatment options may include:

• Autologous Stem Cell Transplant allows for a more aggressive treatment of certain cancers, including lymphoma. In an autologous stem cell transplant, you are your own donor. Stem cells from your bone marrow or peripheral blood are taken from you (harvested), frozen until needed, then given back to you (transplanted) after you have received high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to destroy the cancer cells.


• Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant uses stem cells from a matching donor. In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, your stem cells are replaced with new, healthy stem cells from another person's bone marrow or peripheral blood. Traditionally, most of the allogeneic stem cell transplants have been performed using stem cells collected from the bone marrow. However, the use of peripheral blood stem cells is rapidly increasing.

Quality of Life Therapies
As your care team at CTCA helps you fight lymphoma, we'll enrich your treatment by offering complementary medicine therapies, such as naturopathic medicine, nutrition therapy, mind-body medicine, oncology rehabilitation, and spiritual counseling. These therapies may help reduce side effects and improve your quality of life throughout lymphoma treatment. At CTCA, you receive integrated, patient-centered cancer care for the whole person, not just the disease.

B-Cell Lymphoma
In a normal immune system, the job of B-Cells is to fight bacteria. B-Cell lymphoma occurs when a B-Cell mutates and becomes cancerous. After this occurs, every time this cancerous B-Cell clones itself, the new cell maintains the structure of the mutated cell. Because of this, every person's B-Cell lymphoma cells are unique.

If you have been diagnosed with B-Cell lymphoma and are exploring your treatment options, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) can help. At CTCA we provide patients with an integrated approach to treating cancer that combines both the most up-to-date conventional treatment options with innovative complementary therapies to create a comprehensive treatment plan designed to treat all of you, not just your cancer.

If you would like to learn more about our approach to cancer treatment, call 800-931-0599 and speak to one of our Oncology Information Specialists. They can help you determine if based on your needs if CTCA is the right treatment facility for you.

Diagnosis of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma is a common type of lymphoma, making up approximately 40% of all cases. Diffuse B-Cell lymphoma can occur at any age and it is slightly more common in men than women. Diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma is considered a high-grade lymphoma and therefore requires prompt treatment.

A biopsy must be performed so the cells can be examined. A biopsy is an operation that involves the removal of part of the enlarged lymph node. After the biopsy is performed, blood tests and x-rays may be necessary to determine how far the diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma has spread.

Sign and Symptoms of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
A painless swelling in the neck, armpit, or groin is sometimes one of the first signs of diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma. This swelling is caused by enlarged lymph nodes. Other symptoms may include night sweats, high temperatures, weight loss, or feeling extremely lethargic.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treatment Options

• Chemotherapy - used to destroy cancer cells and one of the primary treatments for diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma


• Radiation - involves the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancerous cells


• Monoclonal antibody therapy - uses drugs to recognize, target, and bind with proteins on the surface of the cancerous cells, thus stimulating the body's immune system to destroy the cell

Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Mediastinal refers to the mediastinum, which is the part of the body located deep inside the chest cavity between the lungs and behind the breast bone. Mediastinal large B-Cell lymphoma is a rare form of diffuse B-Cell lymphoma that develops in the thymus gland. Although mediastinal large B-Cell lymphoma may appear at any age, or in either gender, is most likely to affect people around the ages of 20 to 50 and is more common in women.

To diagnose mediastinal large B-Cell lymphoma, a biopsy must be performed so the cells can be examined microscopically. It involves the removal of part of the enlarged lymph node and can generally be done under a general or local anesthetic. Blood tests and x-rays are sometimes used to get more information about the lymphoma and how far it has spread.

Signs and Symptoms of Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Neck, arm, and face tissue can sometimes swell due to the lymph nodes pressing on the veins in the chest. This swelling that occurs is also known as SVCO (superior vena cava obstruction). Sometimes those diagnosed with mediastinal large B-Cell lymphoma experience night sweats and also a loss of appetite.

Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma Stages

• Stage 1 - Lymphoma is only present in one group of lymph nodes and in just one particular area of the body


• Stage 2 - More than one group of lymph nodes is affected, but they are all contained within either the upper half or the lower half of the body


• Stage 3 - Lymphoma is present in lymph nodes in both the upper and the lower parts of the body


• Stage 4 - Lymphoma has spread beyond the affected lymph nodes to other lymphatic organs

Treating Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
There are a number of different treatments that may be used to treat this form of cancer. The most commonly used treatments include:

• Chemotherapy


• Radiation


• Monoclonal antibody therapy

B-Cell Lymphoma Treatment at CTCA
The doctors and caregivers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America know how emotionally devastating a diagnosis of B-Cell lymphoma can be, and will work with you to help create a treatment plan that fits your unique needs. At CTCA we not only provide conventional treatment options, we also enrich your treatment by offering complementary and alternative therapies such as naturopathic medicine, nutritional therapy, mind-body medicine and spiritual counseling to provide a whole-body treatment experience.