Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Treatments Options

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It is typically first observed when it has already advanced to late stags of the cancer and may present with granulomas. The form more often effects males, though recent studies have shown a link between women with silicone breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the breast.

Treatment Options
As the lymphoma is often discovered late in the progression, it is generally treated aggressively with drastic measures.

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Treatments Chemo

The first line of treatment for this lymphoma is CHOP. This is a form of Chemotherapy regimen often used to treat non-Hodgkins patients. It consists of giving the patient an agent to damage DNA cells and cause them to cross link. The next phase causes new DNA to wedge between the existing damaged DNA bases to prevent them from duplicating. As normal cells will be able to more quickly repair themselves from this damage, the cancerous cells will die off, leaving only health ones.

In some cases the anaplastic large cell lymphoma will be of “B” cell origin. In these instances, the treatment diverts from the common CHOP to include Rituxan.

Patients with heart concerns or certain other cardiovascular diseases will need to undergo a different treatment option. One of the elements in CHOP has been deemed toxic to the heart and will have to be removed from the treatment. In most cases there is no substitute added to the treatment. In rare cases a chemical compound can be altered to include vincristine.

During Treatment
As a general rule of thumb, the oncologist controlling the therapy will order at least one CT scan during the course of treatment to track the progression of potential tumors. These scans are generally performed after each round of chemotherapy and provide the care giver with evidence of response to the treatments or lack there of.

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Treatments Options Side Effects

Most patients will respond well to this treatment combination. However, chemotherapy is often jarring on the system and will present some complications. The most notable and frequent of these are no surprise to most patients and include vomiting and hair loss. Some patients also report a constant fever. The nausea and vomiting are often able to be managed with drugs. Many patients report the medications are able to stop the nausea and vomiting all together from anaplastic large cell lymphoma treatments.

Clearly the earlier the lymphoma is detected and treatment is started, the better the prognosis will tend to be. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma tends to carry a slightly better prognosis and survival rate than other similar aggressive lymphomas. 70-80% of patients will have a five plus year survival rate. 30-50% of patients will be diagnosed with a less than five year survival prognosis. You can check out the American Cancer Society for more information on anaplastic large cell lymphoma treatments.