Lymphoma

At Winship, we're leaders in translating research breakthroughs into effective therapies for lymphoma patients and can offer you an individualized care plan that incorporates the best treatments available.

Our multidisciplinary lymphoma care teams include hematologists, pathologists, radiologists, advanced practice nurses, and oncology nurses who have decades of experience and can provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to treating lymphoma. Our blood cancer experts will determine your specific type of lymphoma and develop a treatment plan that targets your cancer most effectively.

Our multidisciplinary team approach offers a number of benefits to you, including:

• Access to experts in lymphoma and other blood cancers.
• Weekly review of patient cases by the full team of experts.
• Coordinated scheduling for appointments among various specialties.
• Access to the largest and oldest Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplant program in Georgia.
• Access to a nurse navigator to assist you throughout the treatment process.
• Access to support programs and groups for you and your caregivers.
• Availability of new treatment options within our clinical trials program.

Request An Appointment

If you have been diagnosed with lymphoma, we are ready to help you. Call us at (404) 778-0519 to make an appointment. Winship experts are available to provide a second opinion.

We understand that this is a very stressful time. We welcome your questions and requests for help. Here is more information to help familiarize you with Winship and give you an idea of what to expect on your first visit.

Refer a Patient

Referring physicians, you or your staff may refer a patient by contacting us at (404) 778-0519 or via email. For information about our clinical trials, call (404) 778-1868 to speak with one of our research coordinators.

Lymphocytes help you fight infection and are part of your lymphatic, or immune system.  Lymphoma can affect any part of your lymphatic system, which is made up of lymphocytes, lymph nodes and vessels, the spleen and bone marrow.

The two main types of lymphoma are:

• Hodgkin lymphoma: one of the most curable blood cancers, but less common than non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: affects mostly adults and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. There are many types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and it may be slow growing (indolent) or fast growing (aggressive).

Diagnosing your particular type of lymphoma is a crucial part of providing you with the right treatment. Diagnosis of lymphoma is done with a biopsy, which involves examination by a pathologist of tissue or cells obtained by removing all or part of a lymph node.

Staging determines the extent of spread of the disease. A complete staging workup may include a physical exam, blood work, CT and/or PET scans, bone marrow biopsy, and sometimes a lumbar puncture.

For patients with biopsies performed at outside facilities, the tissue samples are re-evaluated by Winship hematopathologists to confirm the diagnosis. Winship radiologists also may review CT and/or PET scans from outside facilities.

Chemotherapy: Each type of lymphoma is sensitive to different combinations of chemotherapy, which may involve one or a combination of anticancer drugs that destroy cancer cells.

Stem Cell Transplantation: This treatment consists of destroying cancerous bone marrow cells using higher doses of chemotherapy and in some cases, radiotherapy, and then replacing them with healthy stem cells to help patients regain a new and healthy immune system.

CAR T-cell Therapy: During treatment, a patient's white blood cells are removed from the body and genetically changed to recognize and kill cancerous cells. The re-engineered cells are then infused back into the patient. CAR T-cell therapy is currently being used at Winship for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma.

Winship's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Center has pioneered many advances in stem cell transplant and cellular therapy procedures and drugs.

Targeted therapy: The use of monoclonal antibodies provided the first targeted therapy for lymphoma. Several are now routinely used to treat lymphoma.

Some forms of lymphoma may also be treated with one therapy or a combination of radiation therapy, biologic therapy, and even surgery, primarily to obtain a biopsy for diagnosis.

Clinical Trials

One of your best options may be participation in a clinical trial. Our lymphoma patients have access to some of the most advanced cancer treatments and clinical trials offered anywhere. Consider talking with your doctor about participating in a clinical trial at Winship.

Supportive Oncology Care

In addition to delivering the highest quality medical care, we recognize the importance of the psychological and emotional aspects of living with a cancer diagnosis and of dealing with treatment. Our supportive oncology team addresses these issues in a timely manner with additional support from counselors, nurse navigators, dietitians and social service professionals.