Cancer Patient Guide

Lymphoma: Expert Insights for Treatment Decisions

Curated from expert webinars (part of 150+ across all cancer types) hosted by Cancer Patient Lab, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Covers R-CHOP, CAR-T cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, Hodgkin vs non-Hodgkin lymphoma, PET scan monitoring, stem cell transplant, and clinical trials.

Expert Panel

Oncologists and researchers who contributed insights through Cancer Patient Lab webinars

Tony Letai, MD, PhD

Functional precision medicine — testing drugs on cancer cells

Lisa Butterfield

Cancer vaccines and immunotherapy

Matthew Dons

TIL therapy and cellular immunotherapy

Ezra Cohen, MD

AI tools in cancer patient-doctor conversations

Selin Kurnaz

Finding the right cancer clinical trial

Massive Bio

Michael Liss, MD, PhD

Gut microbiome and cancer treatment

Treatment Topics

Key treatment areas for lymphoma patients

R-CHOP & Chemoimmunotherapy

R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) is the standard first-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), curing approximately 60% of patients. Polatuzumab vedotin added to R-CHP (Pola-R-CHP) has shown improved outcomes and is becoming the new standard. For follicular lymphoma, bendamustine-rituximab and R-CHOP are common options, with obinutuzumab replacing rituximab in some settings.

CAR-T Cell Therapy

CAR-T therapy has transformed relapsed/refractory lymphoma treatment. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi) are FDA-approved for DLBCL and other aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Recent data shows CAR-T may be superior to autologous stem cell transplant in second-line treatment for some patients, moving it earlier in the treatment sequence.

Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most curable cancers, with ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) curing the majority of patients. PET-adapted therapy allows early response assessment — if the interim PET is negative, treatment may be de-escalated to reduce toxicity. Brentuximab vedotin and checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) have improved outcomes for relapsed disease.

PET Scan Monitoring & Response Assessment

PET/CT is the gold standard for staging and response assessment in lymphoma. The Deauville score (1-5) standardizes PET interpretation — scores 1-3 after treatment generally indicate complete metabolic response. Interim PET scans during treatment guide therapy modifications. Liquid biopsy (ctDNA) is emerging as a complementary tool for real-time monitoring and minimal residual disease detection.

Stem Cell Transplant & Bispecific Antibodies

Autologous stem cell transplant remains an option for relapsed lymphoma, though CAR-T is increasingly used instead. Bispecific antibodies (glofitamab, epcoritamab, mosunetuzumab) are FDA-approved for relapsed/refractory DLBCL and follicular lymphoma, offering off-the-shelf alternatives to CAR-T without the manufacturing wait time. These represent a rapidly expanding treatment category.

Common Questions from Lymphoma Patients

Answered by Navis AI, informed by expert webinars and medical guidelines

Testing Services for Lymphoma

Genomic testing, liquid biopsy, and molecular profiling services relevant to lymphoma

Browse all 369 services →

Lymphoma Webinars

From Cancer Patient Lab — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Content is curated from expert webinars hosted by Cancer Patient Lab, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Always consult your oncologist for treatment decisions. Meet our team →