When planning your treatment, your doctor will consider the type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma you have, the stage and grade, your age and general health, and your preferences.
The aim of treatment is to make the signs and symptoms of lymphoma reduce or disappear. This is called remission. Remission may last for a long period of time and most people have a good quality of life. Sometimes non-Hodgkin lymphoma becomes active again and further treatment is required. This is called a relapse.
Learn more about:
- Treatment options
- Making treatment decisions
- What to do before treatment starts
- Watchful waiting
- Chemotherapy
- Steroid therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Late effects of treatment
- Stem cell transplant
- Palliative treatment
Treatment options
Treatment will depend on the type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and how fast the lymphoma is growing (the grade).
| Low-grade (slow-growing or indolent) lymphoma | You may not need treatment straightaway but have regular check-ups (watchful waiting). If a change or growth in the cancer is causing symptoms or other warning signs, your doctor will recommend treatment. |
| Intermediate-grade and high-grade (fast-growing or aggressive) lymphoma | You may need to be treated quickly. The main treatment option is chemotherapy, often combined with a monoclonal antibody. |
| Relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma | If lymphoma relapses or does not respond to treatment (refractory), you may be offered drug therapies (such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy), more chemotherapy or a stem cell transplant. |
→ READ MORE: Making treatment decisions
Podcast: Making Treatment Decisions
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Dr Puja Bhattacharyya, Haematology Staff Specialist, Western Sydney Local Health District, Blacktown Hospital; A/Prof Christina Brown, Haematologist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney; Dr Susan Carroll, Senior Staff Specialist, Radiation Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital and The University of Sydney; Jo Cryer, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Haematology, St George Hospital; Marie Marr, Consumer; Katelin Mayer, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cancer Outreach Team, Nelune Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Sydney; Vanessa Saunders, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Elise Toyer, Haematology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Blacktown Hospital.
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