Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma, part 2

To learn more about side effects that begin during treatment for cancer, visit Side Effects.

Sources: side effects · Side Effects

Side effects from cancer treatment that begin after treatment and continue for months or years are called late effects. Because late effects affect health and development, regular follow-up exams are important.

Sources: development · follow-up

Late effects of cancer treatment may include:

For female survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, there is an increased risk of breast cancer. This risk depends on the amount of radiation the breast received during treatment and the chemotherapy regimen used. The risk of breast cancer is decreased if radiation to the ovaries was also given.

Sources: survivors · regimen · ovaries

Doctors may recommend that female survivors who received radiation therapy to the breast have a mammogram and MRI once a year starting 8 years after treatment or at age 25 years, whichever is later. They may also suggest that female survivors do a breast self-exam every month beginning at puberty and have a breast exam done by a health professional every year beginning at puberty until age 25 years. The breast exams done by a health professional will increase to every 6 months at age 25 years.

Sources: mammogram · MRI · breast self-exam · puberty

For male survivors who received radiation therapy to the chest, there may be a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Limiting radiation therapy to the chest is suggested if possible.

Sources: cardiovascular disease

Dexrazoxane is a drug that can reduce the risk of long-term heart damage in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. The drug is usually taken alongside chemotherapy and other treatments.

Sources: Dexrazoxane

Some late effects may be treated or controlled. It is important to talk with your child's doctors about the possible late effects caused by some treatments. Learn more about Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer.

Sources: Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer

For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.

Sources: clinical trial · standard treatment

Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.

Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.

Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.

Sources: side effects

Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI’s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.

Sources: clinical trials search · ClinicalTrials.gov

As your child goes through treatment, they will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some tests that were done to diagnose or stage the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.

Sources: diagnose · stage

Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your child's condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).

For patients who receive chemotherapy alone, a PET scan may be done 3 weeks or more after treatment ends. For patients who receive radiation therapy last, a PET scan should not be done until 8 to 12 weeks after treatment ends.

Sources: PET scan

For information about the treatments listed below, visit the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed low-risk classic Hodgkin lymphoma in children may include:

Sources: classic Hodgkin lymphoma

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For information about the treatments listed below, visit the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed intermediate-risk classic Hodgkin lymphoma in children may include:

Sources: classic Hodgkin lymphoma

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For information about the treatments listed below, visit the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed high-risk classic Hodgkin lymphoma in children may include:

Sources: classic Hodgkin lymphoma

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For information about the treatments listed below, visit the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma in children may include:

Sources: nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For information about the treatments listed below, visit the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

In children and adolescents, treatment of primary refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer that does not respond to initial treatment) or recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer that came back after treatment) may include:

Sources: Hodgkin lymphoma

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information