“Follicular lymphoma”
I was diagnosed with Nonhodgkins follicular Lymphoma in 2006 at the age of 63. Treated with CHOP and rituxian. Very difficult for me. Lymphoma returned in 2014 and treatment was benamustine and radiation. I now have my third occurrence with lymphoma in the pancreas. I am concerned as to whether I should see a lymphoma specialist. I am seeing an oncologist/hemotolgist now. Also, would there be new treatment for me? I have no other health problems. I take creon and omprezole for heartburn.
Female | 73 years old
2 Answers
Has the lymphoma in the pancreas been biopsied? Is it still FL? Primary pancreatic lymphoma is a rare extranodal manifestation of any histopathologic subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, representing <2% of extranodal lymphomas and 0.5% of pancreatic tumors. Secondary lymphoma: found in 30% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients with widespread disease, it is the dominant form and is the result of direct extension from peripancreatic lymphadenopathy. Pancreatic lymphoma carries a better prognosis than adenocarcinoma because first-line treatment with chemotherapy is generally effective in producing long-term disease regression or remission. Surgery is not required in most cases. Using complex treatment approaches, cure rates of up to 30% are reported for patients with primary pancreatic lymphoma. This prognosis is much better than the dismal 5% 5-year survival rate in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Further treatment approaches depend on your overall clinical condition and your doctor. I would consult with a good online source such as NCCN (national comprehensive cancer network) which publishes treatment guidelines for most malignancies. An alternative would be to get a second opinion from a good university or tertiary care center. I usually recommend Mayo Clinic for good second opinions. I think that talking to your doctor for treatment opinions is a good idea.
