What is lymphoma in children

Childhood Lymphomas. Large cell lymphoma : a heterogeneous group B-cell lineage and T-cell lineage, some are like both T-cell and B-cell. Clinical Trials for Lymphomas Clinical trials for lymphomas can be found by searching the clinical trial database on the NCI web site. Follow these directions: Start at the NCI clinical trials search page. Although it focuses on adult lymphomas, the disease descriptions, staging, grades, support, and treatment sections offer invaluable information to parents of children with lymphomas.

This site also keeps tabs on new treatments. Posed by a model. Some children need a bone marrow biopsy and a lumbar puncture. These tests are usually done under general anaesthetic. A bone marrow biopsy involves taking some of the bone marrow from just below the hip bone using a special needle.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue in the centre of some of the large bones where blood cells are made. The sample is then examined under a microscope to see if any lymphoma cells are present. The CSF is the clear liquid that cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord. Lymphoma cells may be found in the CSF in some types of lymphoma. Your child does not necessarily need all of these tests — their specialist orders the most appropriate tests depending on what type of lymphoma they have and how it is affecting them.

Staging describes how much lymphoma your child has in their body and where it is. There are different staging systems, but in all of them the stages of lymphoma range from 1 to 4, with 1 being the earliest and 4 being the most advanced stage.

This may sound alarming but many children have advanced-stage lymphoma when it is diagnosed, and most children have a very good outlook. With the right treatment, most children who have lymphoma go into complete remission no evidence of lymphoma and stay in remission.

However, the risk of relapse lymphoma coming back reduces over the years, and your child is very likely to stay in remission. Be careful if you look at statistics. A lot of statistics are very general. Cure rates in children are much higher than in older people and are improving all the time. This information does not give advice on which treatment your child should have.

Treatment can also differ between people with the same type of lymphoma, as it is planned individually. There is more about each of these types of treatment in the sections below, and you can follow the links to find more detailed information about these treatments. Doctors are continually trying to improve treatments for lymphoma. They do this by treating people in a scientific study called a clinical trial. Clinical trials are a way for specialists to work together to find out more about a particular illness and the best way to treat it.

Many children are treated as part of a clinical trial. As treatment for lymphoma in children is generally very successful, many trials aim to limit side effects, especially in the long-term, while still giving every chance of making the lymphoma go into remission. Different trials have different aims. You can find out more about clinical trials in our dedicated section, Lymphoma TrialsLink.

All trials are voluntary and you can opt out at any time if you change your mind. Chemotherapy means treatment with drugs. There are lots of different chemotherapy drugs used to treat lymphoma. Usually, several drugs that destroy cells in different ways are given together at the same time. Each combination of drugs is known as a drug regimen.

Each letter stands for one of the drugs. Watch our chemotherapy animation to find out how chemotherapy works and why it is given in cycles. The best treatment regimens for each type of lymphoma have been worked out over many years in clinical trials , and research continues to improve treatment for lymphoma. You will be given information about what to expect and what side effects your child might experience. Chemotherapy is given in cycles.

Chemotherapy kills healthy cells as well as lymphoma cells, so the recovery time is needed for healthy cells to build back up. Most children with lymphoma have several cycles of chemotherapy over several months.

They might have to stay in hospital for some of their treatment. Some treatment might be given as an outpatient. Children with Hodgkin lymphoma are likely to have a PET scan after their first two cycles of chemotherapy. The results of the scan are used to decide whether your child needs more chemotherapy, and if your child needs radiotherapy after completing their chemotherapy.

The course of treatment usually lasts for 2 years and is given in phases:. Children following this treatment plan spend much of the remission induction and consolidation phases in hospital. The maintenance phase is less intensive, and your child is most likely to go to hospital as an outpatient for treatment during this phase.

Many chemo drugs have to be given intravenously through a drip into a vein. A central line is a soft tube that goes underneath the skin and into one of the main veins superior vena cava just above the heart. Your child has a small operation under general anaesthetic to put it in.

Often, the central line is put in place while your child is having other tests that require a general anaesthetic. You are given instructions on how to look after the line when your child is not in hospital. Lymphoma is the general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of a vast network of vessels, similar to blood vessels that branch out into all the tissues of the body.

These vessels contain lymph, a colourless watery fluid that carries lymphocytes which are specialised white blood cells that fight infection. There are two types of lymphocytes: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes also called B-cells and T-cells.

These cells protect us by making antibodies and destroying harmful micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses. Lymphoma originates in developing B lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes, which have undergone a malignant change.

This means that they multiply without any proper order forming tumours, which are collections of cancer cells. Over time, malignant lymphocytes called lymphoma cells crowd out normal lymphocytes and eventually the immune system becomes weakened and can no longer function properly. Five of these sub-types belong to a group of diseases called Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from all other types of lymphoma because of the presence of a special kind of cancer cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell, which can be seen when examining the tumour cells under a microscope. All other sub-types are commonly grouped together and called non-Hodgkin lymphoma or B and T cell lymphomas. Medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing are used for this treatment. They may be given by IV intravenous into the vein, injected into tissue as a shot , or taken by mouth.

Radiation therapy. These are high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation. They're used to kill cancer cells or help keep them from growing. Monoclonal antibodies. This is a type of targeted therapy that uses medicines to kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

High-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant. Young blood cells called stem cells are taken from the child or from someone else. The child is then given a large amount of chemotherapy to damage to the bone marrow. After the chemotherapy, the stem cells are replaced. Supportive care. Treatment can cause side effects. Medicines and other treatments can be used to ease or help prevent side effects like pain, fever, infection, nausea, and vomiting. Clinical trials. Ask your child's healthcare provider if there are any treatments being tested that may work well for your child.

Most children with cancer are treated as part of a clinical trial. With treatment, most children with NHL go on to live long lives. With any cancer, how well a child is expected to recover prognosis varies.

Keep in mind:. Possible complications depend on the type and stage of the lymphoma. They also vary a lot based on where the lymphoma is and how it's treated. Problems can include things like:. Your child may be very tired. He or she will need to balance rest and activity. Encourage your child to get some exercise. This is good for overall health. And it may help to lessen tiredness.