Treatment of some other, more aggressive, forms of lymphoma can result in a cure in the majority of cases, but the prognosis for patients with a poor response to therapy is worse. Treatment for these types of lymphoma typically consists of aggressive chemotherapy, including the CHOP or R-CHOP regimen. A number of people are cured with first-line chemotherapy. Most relapses occur within the first two years, and the relapse risk drops significantly thereafter. For people who relapse, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation is a proven approach.

The high cure rates and long survival of many patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma has led to a high concern with late adverse effects of treatment, including cardiovascular disease and second malignancies such as acute leukemias, lymphomas, and solid tumors within the radiation therapy field. Most patients with early-stage disease are now treated with abbreviated chemotherapy and involved-field radiation therapy rather than with radiation therapy alone. Clinical research strategies are exploring reduction of the duration of chemotherapy and dose and volume of radiation therapy in an attempt to reduce late morbidity and mortality of treatment while maintaining high cure rates. Hospitals are also treating those who respond quickly to chemotherapy with no radiation.

In childhood cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma, long-term endocrine adverse effects are a major concern, mainly gonadal dysfunction and growth retardation. Gonadal dysfunction seems to be the most severe endocrine long-term effect, especially after treatment with alkylating agents or pelvic radiotherapy.

Patients with early stage disease (IA or IIA) are effectively treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The choice of treatment depends on the age, sex, bulk and the histological subtype of the disease. Adding localised radiation therapy after the chemotherapy regimen may provide a longer progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy treatment alone. Patients with later disease (III, IVA, or IVB) are treated with combination chemotherapy alone. Patients of any stage with a large mass in the chest are usually treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

It should be noted that the common non-Hodgkin's treatment, rituximab (which is a monoclonal antibody against CD20) is not routinely used to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma due to the lack of CD20 surface antigens in most cases. The use of rituximab in Hodgkin's lymphoma, including the lymphocyte predominant subtype has been recently reviewed.

Although increased age is an adverse risk factor for Hodgkin's lymphoma, in general elderly patients without major comorbidities are sufficiently fit to tolerate standard therapy, and have a treatment outcome comparable to that of younger patients. However, the disease is a different entity in older patients and different considerations enter into treatment decisions.

For Hodgkin's lymphomas, radiation oncologists typically use external beam radiation therapy (sometimes shortened to EBRT or XRT). Radiation oncologists deliver external beam radiation therapy to the lymphoma from a machine called linear accelerator which produces high energy X Rays and Electrons. Patients usually describe treatments as painless and similar to getting an X-ray. Treatments last less than 30 minutes each.

For lymphomas, there are a few different ways radiation oncologists target the cancer cells. Involved field radiation is when the radiation oncologists give radiation only to those parts of the patient's body known to have the cancer. Very often, this is combined with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy directed above the diaphragm to the neck, chest or underarms is called mantle field radiation. Radiation to below the diaphragm to the abdomen, spleen or pelvis is called inverted-Y field radiation. Total nodal irradiation is when the therapist gives radiation to all the lymph nodes in the body to destroy cells that may have spread.

Many low-grade lymphomas remain indolent for many years. Treatment of the nonsymptomatic patient is often avoided. In these forms of lymphoma, such as follicular lymphoma, watchful waiting is often the initial course of action. This is carried out because the harms and risks of treatment outweigh the benefits. If a low-grade lymphoma is becoming symptomatic, radiotherapy or chemotherapy are the treatments of choice; although they do not cure the lymphoma, they can alleviate the symptoms, particularly painful lymphadenopathy. Patients with these types of lymphoma can live near-normal lifespans, but the disease is incurable. Some centers advocate the use of single agent rituximab in the treatment of follicular lymphoma rather than the wait and watch approach. Watchful waiting is not a good strategy for all patients, as it leads to significant distress and anxiety in some patients. It has been equated with watch and worry.

Chemotherapy is widely used as frontline treatment, and often is not repeated in relapse due to side effects. Alternate chemotherapy is sometimes used at first relapse. For frontline treatment, CHOP with rituximab is the most common chemotherapy, and often given as outpatient by IV. A stronger chemotherapy with greater side effects (mostly hematologic) is HyperCVAD, often given as in-patient, with rituximab and generally to fitter patients (some of which are over 65). HyperCVAD is becoming popular and showing promising results, especially with rituximab. It can be used on some elderly (over 65) patients, but seems only beneficial when the baseline Beta-2-MG blood test was normal. It is showing better complete remissions (CR) and progression free survival (PFS) than CHOP regimens. A less intensive option is bendamustine with rituximab.

Second line treatment may include fludarabine, combined with cyclophosphamide and/or mitoxantrone, usually with rituximab. Cladribine and clofarabine are two other drugs being investigated in MCL. A relatively new regimen that uses old drugs is PEP-C, which includes relatively small, daily doses of prednisone, etoposide, procarbazine, and cyclophosphamide, taken orally, has proven effective for relapsed patients. According to John Leonard, PEP-C may have anti-angiogenetic properties, something that he and his colleagues are testing through an ongoing drug trial.

Another approach involves using very high doses of chemotherapy, sometimes combined with total body irradiation (TBI), in an attempt to destroy all evidence of the disease. The downside to this is the destruction of the patients' entire immune system as well, requiring rescue by transplantation of a new immune system (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation), using either autologous stem cell transplantation, or those from a matched donor (an allogeneic stem cell transplant). A presentation at the December 2007 American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference by Christian Geisler, chairman of the Nordic Lymphoma Group claimed that according to trial results, mantle cell lymphoma is potentially curable with very intensive chemo-immunotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant, when treated upon first presentation of the disease.

These results seem to be confirmed by a large trial of the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network indicating that induction regimens containing monoclonal antibodies and high dose ARA-C (Cytarabine) followed by ASCT should become the new standard of care of MCL patients up to approximately 65 years.

A study released in April 2013 showed that patients with previously untreated indolent lymphoma, bendamustine plus rituximab can be considered as a preferred first-line treatment approach to R-CHOP because of increased progression-free survival and fewer toxic effects.

Treatment is dependent if the lymphoma is causing issues in regards to the overall health of the individual. Since this a slow moving cancer, many patients start treatment when the symptoms appear. If the individual tests positive for hepatitis C, then anti-viral treatment is suggested since it will often get rid of the lymphoma as well. If further treatment is required the options include chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and/or radiation. Radiation therapy is used for stage I and II nodal marginal zone NHL. Clinical trials show success in treatment when using drugs such as bendamustine and lenalidomida in combination with rituximab.

An example antibody for use in immunotherapy is Rituximab. Rituximab has specific use in treatment of NLPHL as it is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20. Studies indicate Rituximab offers potential in relapsed or refractory patients, and also in front-line treatment especially in advanced stages. Because of a tendency for relapse, maintenance treatment such as every 6 months for 2 years is suggested. Rituximab has been shown to improve patient outcomes after histological transformation.

In general, the first line of treatment for Burkitt’s lymphoma is intensive chemotherapy. A few of these regimens are: the GMALL-B-ALL/NHL2002 protocol, the modified Magrath regimen (R-CODOX-M/IVAC). COPADM, hyper-CVAD, and the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 8811 regimen; these can be associated with rituximab. In older patients treatment may be dose-adjusted EPOCH with rituximab.

The effects of the chemotherapy, as with all cancers, depend on the time of diagnosis. With faster-growing cancers, such as Burkitt's, the cancer actually responds faster than with slower-growing cancers. This rapid response to chemotherapy can be hazardous to the patient, as a phenomenon called "tumor lysis syndrome" could occur. Close monitoring of the patient and adequate hydration is essential during the process. Since Burkitts lymphoma has high propensity to spread to the central nervous system (lymphomatous meningitis), intrathecal chemotherapy with methotrexate and/or ARA-C and/or prednisolone is given alongside with systemic chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

- cyclophosphamide

- doxorubicin

- vincristine

- methotrexate

- cytarabine

- ifosfamide

- etoposide

- rituximab

Other treatments for Burkitt's lymphoma include immunotherapy, bone marrow transplants, stem cell transplant, surgery to remove the tumor, and radiotherapy.

The original route of treatment for MALT is antibiotics to treat an underlying infection such as H.pylori. H.pylori is directly related to the development of this lymphoma. Since most patients respond well to this treatment, then no further treatment is needed. If the lymphoma is not linked to an infection, then radiotherapy and chemotherapy are needed. If the disease is more advanced, then immunoradiotherapy with chemotherapy will be needed. Among the common first-line treatments are bendamustine plus rituximab and R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone). Recently, antibiotic therapy such as doxycycline has been shown to be effective in marginal zone lymphoma that affects the area around the eye ("ocular adnexal marginal zone lymphoma").

There is no consensus regarding the best treatment protocol. Several considerations should be taken into account including age, stage, and prognostic scores (see International Prognostic Index). Patients with advanced disease who are asymptomatic might benefit from a watch and wait approach, as early treatment does not provide survival benefit. When patients are symptomatic, specific treatment is required, which might include various combinations of alkylators, nucleoside analogues, anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens (e.g., CHOP), monoclonal antibodies (e.g. rituximab),

radioimmunotherapy, autologous (self) and allogeneic (donor) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Follicular lymphoma is regarded as incurable, unless the disease is localized, in which case it can be cured by local irradiation. Although allogeneic stem cell transplantation may be curative, the mortality from the procedure is too high to be a first line option.

In 2010 rituximab was approved by the European Commission for first-line maintenance treatment of follicular lymphoma. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that rituximab could be also used in combination with integrin inhibitors to overcome the resistance to rituximab mediated by stromal cells . However, follicular lymphoma which is CD20 negative will not benefit from Rituximab, which targets CD20.

Trial results released in June 2012 show that bendamustine, a drug first developed in East Germany in the 1960s, more than doubled disease progression-free survival when given along with rituximab. This combination therapy also left patients with fewer side effects than the older treatment (a combination of five drugs—rituximab, cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), doxorubicin (Adriamycin), vincristine and prednisone, collectively called R-CHOP).

There are many recent and current clinical trials for follicular lymphoma. For example, personalised idiotype vaccines have shown promise, particularly as upfront therapy, but have still to prove their efficacy in randomized clinical trials.

In November 2013, ibrutinib was approved by the US FDA for treating MCL.

Other targeted agents include the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, mTOR inhibitors such as temsirolimus, and the P110δ inhibitor GS-1101.

Studies indicate that radiation therapy (radio therapy) may reduce the risk of progression in adults. In one study, stage I-II patients treated with radiation therapy showed 10-year cause-specific survival of 98%, and the rate of developing radiotherapy-related second malignancies was not increased by the treatment (1% after 10 years). A study published in 2013 on large group of patients with early-stage NLPHL indicated support for using limited-field radiation therapy as the sole treatment of early-stage disease. In a study of 1,162 NLPHL patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry program, radiation therapy improved overall survival and disease specific survival.

Currently PTCL is treated similarly to B-cell lymphomas. However, in recent years, scientists have developed techniques to better recognize the different types of lymphomas, such as PTCL. It is now understood that PTCL behaves differently from B-cell lymphomas and therapies are being developed that specifically target these types of lymphoma. Currently, however, there are no therapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for PTCL. Anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens are commonly offered as the initial therapy. Some patients may receive a stem cell transplant. Novel approaches to the treatment of PTCL in the relapsed or refractory setting are under investigation.

Pralatrexate is one compound currently under investigations for the treatment of PTCL. For information please consult the US clinical trials database (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

There is no cure for CTCL, but there are a variety of treatment options available and some CTCL patients are able to live normal lives with this cancer, although symptoms can be debilitating and painful, even in earlier stages. FDA approved treatments include the following:

- (1999) Denileukin diftitox (Ontak)

- (2000) Bexarotene (Targretin) a retinoid

- (2006) Vorinostat (Zolinza) a hydroxymate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor

- (2009) Romidepsin (Istodax) a cyclic peptide histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are shown to have antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties against CTCL.Other (off label) treatments include:

In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan drug designation for a topical treatment for pruritus in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma to a pharmaceutical company called Elorac.

Combined modality therapy is the most common approach for the initial treatment of thyroid lymphomas. The CHOP regimen (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) has been shown high effectiveness for many types of thyroid lymphoma. However, it is suggested to perform radiation therapy only for MALT resulting a 96% complete response, with only a 30% relapse rate. Surgical treatment might be performed for patients with thyroid lymphoma in addition to chemotherapy and radiation, particularly for MALT lymphomas.

Breast implant-associated ALCL is a recently recognized lymphoma and definitive management and therapy is under evaluation. However, it appears that removal of the implant, and resection of the capsule around the implant as well as evaluation by medical and surgical oncologists are cornerstones. Still under evaluation is the extent of capsulectomy: partial versus complete capsulectomy; similarly it is not defined the significance of replacement of the implant in the affected breast, or the removal of contralateral implant. Similarly, the value of radiation therapy and chemotherapy are under evaluation.

Currently, there is a drug, LDK378, undergoing Phase III clinical trials at Vanderbilt University that targets ALK positive small cell lung cancer, and has showed clinical promise in its previous clinical trials. Because approximately 70% of ALCL neoplasms are also ALK positive, there is hope that similar highly selective and potent ALK inhibitors may be used in the future to treat ALK positive cases of ALCL.

Current treatment typically includes R-CHOP, which consists of the traditional CHOP, to which rituximab has been added. This regimen has increased the rate of complete response for DLBCL patients, particularly in elderly patients.R-CHOP is a combination of one monoclonal antibody (rituximab), three chemotherapy agents (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine), and one steroid (prednisone). These drugs are administered intravenously, and the regimen is most effective when it is administered multiple times over a period of months. People often receive this type of chemotherapy through a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) in their arm near the elbow or a surgically implanted venous access port. The number of cycles of chemotherapy given depends on the stage of the disease — patients with limited disease typically receive three cycles of chemotherapy, while patients with extensive disease may need to undergo six to eight cycles. A recent approach involves obtaining a PET scan after the completion of two cycles of chemotherapy, to assist the treatment team in making further decisions about the future course of treatment.Older people often have more difficulty tolerating therapy than younger people. Lower intensity regimens have been attempted in this age group.

Radiation therapy is often part of the treatment for DLBCL. It is commonly used after the completion of chemotherapy. Radiation therapy alone is not an effective treatment for this disease.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas of the stomach are primarily treated with chemotherapy with CHOP (cyclophosphamide+doxorubicine+vincristine+prednisone) with or without rituximab being a usual first choice.

Antibiotic treatment to eradicate H. pylori is indicated as first line therapy for MALT lymphomas. About 60% of MALT lymphomas completely regress with eradication therapy. Radiation treatment for H. pylori negative gastric malt lymphoma, has a high success rate, 90% or better after 5 years. Second line therapy for MALT lymphomas is usually chemotherapy with a single agent, and complete response rates of greater than 70% have been reported.

Subtotal gastrectomy, with post-operative chemotherapy is undertaken in refractory cases, or in the setting of complications, including gastric outlet obstruction.

Combination chemotherapy regimens are effective in both newly diagnosed and relapsed CLL. Combinations of fludarabine with alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide) produce higher response rates and a longer progression-free survival than single agents:

- FC (fludarabine with cyclophosphamide)

- FR (fludarabine with rituximab)

- FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab)

- CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone)

Although the purine analogue fludarabine was shown to give superior response rates to chlorambucil as primary therapy, no evidence shows early use of fludarabine improves overall survival, and some clinicians prefer to reserve fludarabine for relapsed disease.

Chemoimmunotherapy with FCR has shown to improve response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival in a large randomized trial in CLL patients selected for good physical fitness. This has been the first clinical trial demonstrating that the choice of a first-line therapy can improve the overall survival of patients with CLL.

Alkylating agents approved for CLL include bendamustine and cyclophosphamide.

Targeted therapy attacks cancer cells at a specific target, with the aim of not harming normal cells.

- Alemtuzumab is a mAb directed against CD52 used in CLL.

- Rituximab, ofatumumab, and obinutuzumab are antibodies against CD20 used to treat CLL.

- Ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, is used to treat CLL.

- Idelalisib is a PI3K inhibitor. and is taken orally.

- Venetoclax is a Bcl-2 inhibitor used to treat people with CLL who have 17p deletion (deletion located on the chromosome 17 short arm) and who have been treated with at least one prior therapy.

In certain eligible patients, a conditioning regimen of high-dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant may be used to extend a period of first complete remission. Likewise, a recent study suggests that high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation results in favorable outcomes for elderly patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Radiotherapy is the most effective treatment for local disease either as the sole treatment for low-grade lymphoma or in combination with chemotherapy for intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma. Radiotherapy dose in range of 30-45 Gy administered in fractions are advised in treating the local orbital lymphomas.

Multiagent chemotherapy is recommended, but the preferred regimen is controversial, as is consolidative radiotherapy.

Treatment with dose-adjusted EPOCH with rituximab has shown promising initial results in a small series of patients (n=17), with a 100% response rate, and 100% overall survival and progression-free survival at 28 months (median follow-up).