Severe tiredness and lack of energy (fatigue) may make you feel weak and exhausted or you may have trouble concentrating. These feelings can last for several weeks or months after chemotherapy. Check with your doctor whether your fatigue is related to a low red blood cell count (anaemia).
Nausea and vomiting are often associated with chemotherapy and some forms of radiotherapy. These days however, thanks to significant improvements in anti-sickness (anti-emetic) drugs, nausea and vomiting are generally very well controlled.
Usually chemotherapy works very well for most people with Hodgkin lymphoma. But sometimes the lymphoma may not completely respond to the treatment. If this happens it can still be treated successfully. Your doctor may talk to you about having more intensive chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant.
While this varies according to the treatment regimen, it is common to be off work on treatment days and sometimes several days afterwards. You will generally be able to continue many activities but may need more help with things like food preparation, shopping and the like.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
If you have advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (stage IIB-IV) you'll usually have six cycles of ABVD-based chemotherapy. After two cycles of ABVD you'll normally have a PET/CT scan, and depending on the result, you may have the next four cycles of chemotherapy without bleomycin (this is known as AVD).
While chemotherapy is one of the oldest and most successful ways of treating cancer, it doesn't always work. So, yes, cancer can spread during chemotherapy. Spreading could mean the tumor keeps growing, or that the original tumor shrinks, but cancer metastasizes, forming tumors in other areas of the body.
A short course of treatment usually takes about 6 to 12 weeks. Or you might have a longer course of chemotherapy and a targeted drug, without radiotherapy. Whether you have radiotherapy depends on factors such as where the lymphoma is in the body and how fit you are.
Background: Six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) are the standard treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hair loss is quite common in people who are treated with chemotherapy; overall, around 2 in 3 people experience hair loss. Chemotherapy kills lymphoma cells, but it can also destroy healthy cells, particularly those that normally divide quickly. Hair follicles produce hair.
Sickness caused by chemotherapy can start within a couple of hours of starting your treatment and only last a day or so. Or it can come on more than 24 hours after the start of treatment. This is called delayed onset nausea and vomiting and usually lasts about a week.
extreme tiredness – tiredness that doesn't go away even after rest or sleep (fatigue) chest pain, cough or breathlessness if there's a swelling in your chest. feeling uncomfortably full or feeling sick caused by a swelling in your stomach area. itching either widespread or in one place.
Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems. You may have trouble concentrating or remembering things. There can also be nerve and muscle effects and hearing changes. You will be at increased risk of infections.
The effects of chemo are cumulative. They get worse with each cycle. My doctors warned me: Each infusion will get harder. Each cycle, expect to feel weaker.
You have treatment, usually over 1 to 3 days, depending on the particular combination of drugs. Then you have a break of a few weeks to allow your body to recover from the effects of the chemotherapy.
You might notice an improvement in cancer symptoms, such as less pain, reduced lymph node swelling, and improved energy levels. If you use topical chemotherapy on skin lesions, the area might feel irritated and look red and swollen for the first few weeks. These are all signs that chemotherapy is working.
Treatment for stage 1 Hodgkin lymphoma is usually 2 to 4 cycles of chemotherapy. You might also have radiotherapy.
It takes time but most people adjust well to life after a diagnosis of lymphoma and find a 'new normal'. This might involve making some changes to your everyday life.
Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.
This is a rare, slow-growing type of lymphoma. It's found mainly in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. This type of lymphoma can't be cured.
NHL is a serious condition but commonly has a relatively promising outlook. Most people with NHL survive at least 5 years after a diagnosis. However, older people are more likely to die from the condition. Other factors that affect the outlook include the stage and spread of the cancer.
Most people say it takes 6 to 12 months after they finish chemotherapy before they truly feel like themselves again. Read the resource Managing Cognitive Changes for more information about managing chemo brain.
Stage 2. Around 90 out of 100 people (around 90%) will survive their Hodgkin lymphoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Most relapses of Hodgkin lymphoma or high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma happen within the first 2 years after treatment. As time goes on, relapse generally becomes less likely.