Pediatric Lymphoma Treatment

All childhood cancers are rare, but some are more common than others. Pediatric lymphoma is the third most common form of pediatric cancer found in children. Breakthroughs in treatment have led to amazing outcomes. About 90% of children who are diagnosed with pediatric lymphoma are cured and go on to live long lives.   

Siteman Kids patients are treated by WashU Medicine physicians. They are experts who provide excellent care to children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital while they also are hard at work in a laboratory setting learning more about the disease and discovering new ways to treat it. Because many physicians at Siteman Kids are researching the biology of how lymphoma acts in the body, they can use research-based clinical care, thoughtfully considering the individual child and what they may need rather than only following protocols for standard treatments. 

Every child with cancer is different, and every treatment plan for pediatric lymphoma is unique. There are many considerations for how to treat pediatric lymphoma, including your child’s overall health, the kind of lymphoma – if it is Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s – and its subtype, any genetic components, the cancer stage, and more. After learning about their specific case, your child’s physician may recommend one or more of the following treatments:  

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for most lymphomas in children. It is a medicine that attacks cancer cells. Often the drugs in chemotherapy stop cancer cells from growing and reproducing. Chemotherapy (or chemo) may be given through a vein (IV) or spinal canal, injected into a muscle, or taken by mouth.  There are several medicines that make up chemotherapy and they are often given at different times. Treatment can have side effects and can be hard on the body, so it is usually done in cycles, with rest periods in between. This gives your child time to recover.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to target cancer cells. The radiation itself changes the cancer cells’ ability to grow and damages them so they cannot reproduce. Radiation is only used in rare circumstances to treat lymphomas. 

High-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant 

Another approach to chemotherapy can take place alongside a stem cell transplant. First, young blood cells, called stem cells, are taken from the child or from a donor. Then, high doses of chemotherapy medicine can be administered. This causes damage to the bone marrow. After the chemotherapy, the stem cells are replaced. The new immune system can then recognize the leukemia cells as foreign and kill them.  

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is a cutting-edge form of precision medicine that can be used to treat different kinds of Hodgkin’s lymphoma by disrupting the molecules that signal the cancer cells to multiply. In another kind of targeted therapy monoclonal antibodies are engineered in a lab specifically to combat lymphoma. Because the antibody and drug combined is an “exact fit,” it can be absorbed by the body, carrying chemotherapy into cells right where it is needed.    

Surgery

Surgery is used in some cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because this cancer type can cause tumors to form in the body. Surgery is a way to remove these tumors and, if needed, the area around them.  

Clinical trials

Clinical trials are research studies designed to give patients access to innovative treatments before they are available everywhere while providing vital information about treating pediatric cancers. Clinical trials for children often take place at multiple locations across the nation. Siteman Kids is proud to lead some of these research efforts. Learn more about pediatric clinical trials here.   

 

It is important to note that your child’s well-being is a priority during diagnostic testing. Our care team tries to ease any fears or pain a patient has during testing. If needed, we can use light sedation to limit stress and help children feel more comfortable for more involved procedures.     

Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is also an extension of WashU Medicine, which means physicians, nurse practitioners and clinicians leverage the knowledge the whole the academic institution offers for their pediatric patients. 

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Call our nurse navigators to begin setting up an appointment for your child. They are able to answer questions and guide you to resources.

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Learn More: About Pediatric Lymphoma

Learn More: Pediatric Lymphoma Specialist Team

Learn More: Siteman Kids Support Services