Healthy Living

Living as a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor: The Importance of Follow-up Care

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma statistics

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounts for about 4% of all cancers in the United States, making it one of the most common forms of cancer. It’s likely that someone you know will be affected by NHL at some point in your life. The chance of an average American developing NHL is 1 in 50, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition to its prevalence in adult populations, unfortunately NHL is also one of the more common cancers affecting both children and young adults.

Prognosis for aggressive forms of NHL is higher than some other forms of cancer, and this type of NHL is often curable. The overall 5-year five-year survival rate for NHL in total sits at 67%. At this time, indolent forms of NHL are harder treat, and often are incurable, although patients will experience periods of remission. But since the 1990s, prognosis for NHL has drastically improved. And as medical advancements continue, the outcomes for treatment of both forms of NHL are most likely going to improve even further.

Some of these new developments include greater understandings of the genetic components of cancer, improved stem cell transplant procedures, and targeted drugs that attack the cells of a specific, problem area of the body rather than the body as a whole.