Can an autologous stem cell transplant cure Hodgkin's lymphoma?

Question

Hi doctor,

I was diagnosed with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had eight cycles of ABVD, which did not remove the tumor, and the tumor started growing back after four cycles. Then, I went for salvage therapy, and that also did not give a good response. Now, the doctor advised doing the autologous stem cell transplantation. What should I do?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

First-line therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma is chemotherapy. ABVD is the most common scheme (Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine).
Second-line chemotherapy, salvage therapy, and radiation may be used if the first therapy fails, as you said in your query, which has not had the expected results.
Stem cell transplant is one of the methods of treatment usually used in young patients and is used in your case as the last weapon. That is a very specialized procedure, which may also be associated with high risks.
You need to conduct a thorough consultation with the specialists who will be performing that procedure. The choice is always yours.
If it were me, then I would accept every method of treatment that would give me the chance to live, because, as you see, there is nothing to lose in this situation.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.