Hodgkin's Disease - Treatment

Two forms of treatment are used with Hodgkin's disease: chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Radiotherapy uses X rays or other forms of radiation to achieve the same result. Both methods of treatment work quite well with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Unfortunately, both treatments also have unpleasant side effects. Chemotherapy can result in nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and an increased risk for infections. Radiotherapy can cause sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, diarrhea, and changes in growth patterns for children. Both forms of treatment, especially when they are used together, can cause sterility. Sterility is the loss of the ability to have children. Heart and lung damage are also possible side effects when the two treatments are used together.

One of the most serious problems in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease is the possibility of a secondary cancer. A secondary cancer is a new cancer that occurs elsewhere in the body after the Hodgkin's lymphoma has been cured. Secondary cancers can occur in blood, bone, the thyroid, or other parts of the body.