Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Question: How is Chemotherapy “in� Hodgkin’s lymphoma? And how often is it given? Is this done in a hospital, or somewhere else? Is pill or? What are the most common side effects, with this type of cancer and treatment? Plus do you know any good hospitals for Hodgkin's lymphoma in Madrid Spain?

Answer: I don't know which hospitals are best in Spain. However, I have been treated for Hodgkin's Disease. There are several different chemotherapy regimens used for Hodgkin's. The most common is ABVD, but there is also MOPP, BEACOPP, and Stanford V. MOPP is no longer commonly used, but BEACOPP and Stanford V are sometimes used in advanced disease. I had 8 cycles of ABVD. That's the most common and the one I know most about so I'll explain ABVD. A cycle of ABVD is 28-days long and consists of treatments on day 1 and 15. So 8 cycles of ABVD is 16 treatments. I had a treatment every other Friday for almost 8 months. ABVD is usually given for 4, 6, or 8 cycles. How many you get depends on the stage of your disease and how well you do with chemo. ABVD is given as an out-patient in a doctor's office or cancer center, though I had my first as an in-patient in the hospital because I was at high risk for some serious side effects because my HD was so severe. ABVD is given intravenously -- i.e. through a vein (many people get ports to make it easier). Three of the drugs are given through a syringe and are slowly injected over about 5 minutes or so, while the last drug is given as a drip over about an hour. It takes about 3 hours to get it. ABVD commonly causes nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. Less commonly, it can cause heart problems or lung problems. Hodgkin's Disease itself causes many symptoms including night sweats, itching, swollen nodes, pain when drinking alcohol, fevers, etc. I actually started feeling better with chemo because I was so sick to begin with. In general, I felt chemo made me feel like I had a bad flu for a few days. Then I would be fine until the next treatment. I would say it was not as bad as I expected.

Question: Is consumption of alcohol safe after being treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma? I have recently been treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I wanted to know if there would be any side-effects for consuming alcohol now, a month after my last chemo therapy.

Answer: Talk to your doctor. In general, a glass of wine or a beer here and there is not harmful, but you should still ask. Some patients have permanent liver damage from chemo and even a small amount of alcohol can exacerbate the problem- it can cause nausea, vomiting, or even liver failure. Most hospitals routinely screen their cancer patients for liver failure, and some do enzyme checks- your doctor should know if it's safe for you to drink. Even if he gives you the green light, avoid over imbibing for awhile- your liver was stressed enough by chemo.

Question: is it true that treatment for hodgkin's lymphoma makes you infertile? is it true that treatment for hodgkin's lymphoma makes you infertile? is there any chance of having kids without freezing eggs? as in, did anyone manage to have children despite undergoing this treatment?

Answer: My girlfriend just gave birth to a baby boy after treatment for Hodgkins when she was 14 or so years old. She is now 24 and did fine.

Question: What does treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma involve? I might have hodgkin's lymphoma (no diagnosis yet...still testing) and was wondering what specifically does treatment involve? Is it something you have to stay in the hospital for for months? I'd like to hear someones personal expirience. I've read about what radiation/chemo/etc...is about but I want details like where did you go for treatment (hospital/drs. office?) and how long it took (was it all day? all week? for a couple hours?) Please help.

Answer: I didn't have hodgkins lymphoma, I had non- hodgkins, but at the beginning there was talk about having to stay in the hospital for my first chemo. I felt so bad I wish I could have, only because I had 4 kids waiting for me at home. It depends on your treatment whether or not you will stay in the hospital. It aslo depends on how your body reacts to the chemo. My aunt had hodgkins lymphoma and was in and out of hospitals during treatments. My chemo was all day. But my first treatment was the longest. I was the last one to leave... next to the nurses. I had 5 drugs pumped into my body. One drug took about 5 hours to pump in because they were watching how I reacted to it. Eventually, they were able to pump it in in about 3. Good Luck and stay positive...you will make it through this.

Question: anybody with chemotherapy experience to fight non-hodgkin's lymphoma? i would like to know about chemoteraphy treatment. is it painful? my hubby has been diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma after he complaint about stomach ache. done CT scan, biopsy and all. now he has to undergo chemotheraphy. but we are still pending it, worrying about the side effects etc. will u explain. thanks.

Answer: It wasn't THAT bad. It surely wasn't fun, but hey, at least I'm still here. Hair loss was in about 10 days - 2 weeks. Nausea was a side effect but not that bad. I had numbness in all my fingertips, which was due to the Vincristine. I was treated with six rounds of CHOP plus Rituxan. Then I had 18 radiation treatments. [WICKED radiation sore throat] I had diffuse lage B cell NHL stage IIe. I'm still here to tell about it 3 years later. For the best info, hit this site: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls Best wishes

Question: My Friend is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, will she die? My best friend was very recently told she has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and that there is nothing that can be done. She is in her early 30's with 2 young girls. The doctor told her to do "alot of video-taping". Essentially, she feels fine, but doesnt know how long she has. Is there NO treatment for this? We live in Southern California with some of the best medical universities and hospitals. Is there nothing that can be done? Im angry! What should I do?

Answer: my sympathies to you and your friend. If her doctor thinks they need to treat with chemo or chemo - they should. my mother had non-hodkins for 8 years. most of the time she wasn't too bad. You can survive for i think about 12 years with it - at least that was the info I got when my mother got it about 16 years ago. of course I'm sure that treatments are better now too. usually they die due to complications such as respiratory failure or some sort of infection. they get susceptible to colds and illnesses since their immune system is so low. look it up on the mayo clinic site. i know you are angry and upset, but really just deal with it and support her and help her as much as youi can. good luck

Question: Is adjuvant therapy(chemo) is proven effective for non-hodgkin's lymphoma cases? All my lab tests--ct scan,blood tests are all clear after my surgery (colon). Do chemo after surgery necessary and proven effective to lower the risk of recurrence for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cases. Considering im young and aware of chemo side effects--second malignancy disease and sterility. Do i need a chemo now?

Answer: Only your oncologist can answer that, specific to your case. It depends on the type of NHL. Sometimes people are put on maintenance doses of Rituxan [very little side effects]. Check this site for the best info: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls Best wishes

Question: What can you tell me about nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma? My sister just got this diagnosis and obviously I'm concerned. Anything you can tell me from a personal perspective would be appreciated.

Answer: Here is a site that can answer many questions for you....I hope this helps!

Question: Does anyone have non hodgkin's lymphoma and do your symtoms improve without chemo? What I meant is before chemo and with antibiotics.

Answer: NHL is not a good diagnosis....it is somewhat dire. Without chemo and radiation, it is fatal. Symptoms will only progress and get worse. Nothing gets better without help. Speak to a heme-onc (hematology oncologist), as they know what's best for the disease on a case by case basis.

Question: What is chemotherapy like for hodgkin's lymphoma? A friend of mine has it. I'm not exactly sure what cycles are. Is there a different kind of medication every day? Or is it the same medicine for weeks? If someone could explain the whole process to me it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: "Patients with early stage disease (IA or IIA) are effectively treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The choice of treatment depends on the age, sex, bulk and the histological subtype of the disease. Patients with later disease (III, IVA, or IVB) are treated with combination chemotherapy alone. Patients of any stage with a large mass in the chest are usually treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy."

Question: How do you know if you might have Hodgkin's Lymphoma? How big are your lymph nodes? Symptoms? I need some info. I have a couple of swollen lymph nodes but my sinuses are draining as well. But I am scared to death something else is wrong. I have a knot by my collar bone I am wondering if it could be a tense muscle or what. Advice please

Answer: I think I answered you other question... But one day I looked at my left collar bone and a big; bump, or welt, or knot, their. I went to my friend who is a massage therapist and told her it was from my new job and needed her to work it out. She took one look at it, and told me to go to my Dr. right away. I think you know the rest. Hodgkin's Lymphoma typically hits young adults age 16-24, so if you in that age range it's more critical then not you get checked out. Look, it also my just be nothing.... I know what you going through, I survived this stupid ****. Please, please email me if you have questions. Treatment isn't as bad as most other cancers, and the survival rate is in the low 90% so your in good shape either way.

Question: Where is the best place to go to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma? My fiance has is on his third type of chemo for stage IV Hodgkin's; nothing has worked so far. On a local level we are running out of options for him and we will not give up until we have tried it all. Does anyone know where we should go for treatment for this? He is 32 and we have 2 small children....any suggestions would be great!!!! Prayers too :)

Answer: I'm so sorry about your fiance's situation. You all are in my prayers. One suggestion would be to contact Cancer Treatment Centers of America. They are a system of Hospitals with campuses across the country that specialize in both conventional and alternative treatments of advanced cancers that have failed conventional treatments. Their website is: http://www.cancercenter.com . Another resource I would suggest would be the book, "Beating Cancer with Nutrition" by Dr. Patrick Quillin (Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.com/Beating-Cancer-Nut… Also, contact your local branch of the American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org. Again, my wishes go out to your fiance for a full recovery. Hope this can help.

Question: Does SMOKING interfere or affect ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin s lymphoma?

Answer: There are some studies that state smoking can decrease the effectiveness of or complicate chemotherapy in cancer patients. Smoking also may effect survival/recurrence rates after treatment.

Question: I was just diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and I would like to know more about the side effects? I know there is a high survival rate and I will be starting chemotherapy most likely next week? My aunt had cancer and chemo and never lost her hair during but I'm so worried about losing my hair. I hear that there is also issues that effect your weight. If anyone could inform me some more I would greatly appreciate to know what to expect. Thanks

Answer: The side effects are dependent on the type of chemo you will be receiving. There are many drug combinations used in the treatment of Hodgkins lymphoma. Ask your doctor which chemo agents you will be receiving and what the side effects are. Best of luck!

Question: Is hodgkin's lymphoma cancer treatment 100% curable disease? Hi, I would like to know Is hodgkin's lymphoma cancer treatment 100% curable disease an more details

Answer: Hi, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 1994 and received CHOP treatment every 21 days. I was told I was in remission after that. Then it came back in 2003. I had RICE treatment, in hospital 24/7 for three days every 2 weeks... and went into remission thankfully once again. Hodgkin's as I recall had a 90% cure rate and Hodgkin's a 50% chance. I am still around...thank God. To better my opportunities of survival ( the second time they gave me a 10% chance for cure) I opted for a transplant and radiation. As you know, it is 2009 and I just had my ct-scans...all is fine. If you need someone to discuss, please feel free to e-mail me. Mystified P.S Just wondering if the other Lymphoma survivor would mind me on her fan list or contact? (mySleepL) Would like to know if the the person asking the question going through this disease or is it someone that you care about?

Question: Is consumption of Marijuana(Hashish) safe after being treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma? I know hash is bad, but is it worse for a cancer treated patient whose had Hodgkin's? BTW - My last therapy was on 1st April, 2009

Answer: Pot or Hash are sometimes recommended for relief of extreme nausea caused by chemo, so I doubt that occasional use would affect your recovery. If you are smoking because of nausea, then there is a very good synthetic marijuana called Marinol that comes in a pill form and is legal with a prescription. And yes, it does give you a buzz.