Lymphoma Treatment

Chemotherapy uses medicines to destroy cancer cells. You may get 1 drug or several drugs in each treatment. You will usually get more than 1 treatment. Drugs are given in pill form (this is less common), or by injection or by vein. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for most types of lymphoma. There are many drugs that kill lymphoma cells. Your doctor will discuss the drugs and number of treatments you will get.

Radiation therapy uses high-dose X-rays to destroy cancer cells. As these cells die, swollen lymph nodes or the pain from an enlarged spleen goes away. Radiation treatments are given every day for a set number of treatments determined by your radiation doctor. Your doctor will discuss this information with you before you begin treatment.

Proton therapy is the leading-edge form of radiation treatment currently available. Proton therapy is a form of external beam radiation that uses energized protons to deliver radiation to a tumor. Proton therapy allows us to target and focus the radiation much more precisely, concentrating radiation in the tumor, where it will benefit the patient, and minimizing radiation to the surrounding healthy tissue. As a result, proton therapy may offer patients the possibility of fewer side effects and improved quality of life, both during and after treatment.

Targeted immunotherapy uses antibodies that attach directly to the lymphoma cells and cause them to die. This is called passive immunotherapy, because we create the antibodies in the laboratory; your body does not make them. Some of these antibodies also carry medications or radiation. When the antibodies attach, the medicine or radiation is delivered to the cell.

CAR T-cell therapy uses genetically modified T cells (immune system cells) to attack cancerous lymphoma cells.

Bispecific T-cell engagers are a form of immunotherapy that use the patient’s own immune cells, the T cells, to engage and destroy the cancer cells. A bispecific antibody can be described as a 2-forked molecule that forms a bridge between cancer cells and T cells. One fork attaches to the T cell and the other fork attaches to the cancer cell. This allows the T cell to get close to the cancer cell, punch a hole in it and destroy it. Bispecific T-cell engager immunotherapies that we offer and are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration include:

• Mosunetuzumab-axgb (brand name Lunsumio™) is the first bispecific CD20-directed CD3 T-cell engager for adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after 2 or more lines of prior therapy. Mosunetuzumab-axgb is administered as an infusion.
• Glofitamab-gxbm (brand name Columvi™) is approved for use to treat adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified or large B-cell lymphoma arising from follicular lymphoma, after 2 or more lines of prior systemic therapies. Glofitamab-gxbm is administered as an infusion.
• Epcoritamab-bysp (brand name Epkinly™) is a subcutaneous – under the skin – injection for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma after 2 or more lines of systemic therapy.