Lymphoma Care at Stanford Health Care
As you and your family prepare for your first visit at Stanford, you’ll likely have many questions about your care journey here. This overview explains our diagnosis and treatment planning, to help you understand what to expect as you go through the early steps of your care.
Please consider us a trusted health partner before, during, and after your treatment. We offer extensive resources to assist you with every facet of your care – physical, emotional, spiritual, and social. We’re here to help you and your family each step of the way.
1Getting Started In Your Care
2Getting Your Diagnosis
3Planning Your Treatment
4Undergoing Treatment & Follow-Up
Select your type of treatment below.
This overview explains our diagnosis and treatment planning, to help you understand what to expect as you go through the early steps of your care.
Learn more about how lymphoma is diagnosed through imaging, biopsy, and the discoveries of pathology.
Learn more about the roles of drug therapy and radiation therapy in treating Hodgkin lymphoma.
Learn more about the roles of drug therapy and radiation therapy in treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Learn more about what it is like to receive radiation treatments for lymphoma.
Before
During
After
Diagnosing lymphoma
For everyone who comes to us, we start your care by establishing or confirming a diagnosis. Because lymphoma is a diverse group of diseases, an accurate diagnosis is critical for your treatment plan. It helps us recommend the most effective treatment options for you, in the right sequence.
At Stanford, we tailor the diagnostic phase of lymphoma care to each individual patient.
- You may have come to Stanford for care through a referral from your primary care doctor or other specialist.
- If you have already received a diagnosis before coming to Stanford, your Stanford team will want to review these test results to confirm or correct your diagnosis.
Wherever you are in the process, your Stanford doctor and care team will work closely with you to determine which tests you need to complete your diagnosis.
Learn more about the diagnostic process
Developing a treatment plan
Your care team combines cancer experts in several fields. Together, they will recommend treatment options based on your specific diagnosis. We work carefully to determine the best treatment options for you and to prepare a treatment plan personalized for your particular needs. We try to maximize treatment success while minimizing the impact that diagnosis and treatment can have on your life.
Learn more about treatment planning
Different types of treatment for lymphoma have different goals, such as:
- Slowing or stopping the growth of cancer
- Destroying cancer cells
- Destroying any cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body
- Delaying or preventing cancer from coming back (recurrence)
- Managing symptoms of incurable cancer
During treatment
There are two primary approaches to lymphoma treatment. As we develop treatment recommendations for you, we consider whether the cancer is confined to one site or has spread to other parts of your body. Depending on the details of your diagnosis, you may need just one category of treatment, or both:
- Drug therapy treats the entire body with cancer-fighting medications anywhere in the body. Medical oncology is systemic because you take medications in either intravenous (IV) or pill form that circulate throughout the body. If you have drug therapy in addition to surgery or radiation therapy, the treatments are called adjuvant therapy.
Learn more about drug therapy for lymphoma - Local therapy targets the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue called a margin. Radiation therapy are local treatments.
Learn more about radiation therapy for lymphoma
We can treat lymphoma with several different methods, often combining them for the best chance at success. Our recommended plan will include the most appropriate treatment types for your unique case. It also will likely recommend that treatments be given in a specific order, to benefit you the most.
Approaches to lymphoma treatment include:
- Medical oncology: Medications that shrink tumors and destroy cancer cells include chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
- Radiation oncology: High-energy radiation therapy, such as X-rays or gamma rays, shrinks tumors and destroys cancer cells.
Clinical trials: At Stanford, our doctors are always working to improve care for people with Lymphoma. As an academic medical center, we conduct clinical trials to evaluate new medications and other treatments for safety and effectiveness.
Follow-up care
After you complete your lymphoma treatment, your care team works with you to develop an ongoing care plan. Regular follow-up care, also known as surveillance, is important to:
- Monitor your overall health
- Manage any remaining side effects
- Check for possible signs of the cancer coming back (recurring)
Follow-Up Care: Managing Side Effects After Treatment
Follow-Up Care: What to Expect After Treatment
We work closely with your primary care doctor throughout your treatment, providing updates on a regular basis. We continue this partnership after you finish treatment, to coordinate your ongoing care for lymphoma and any other health concerns.
Support after treatment
Cancer Care Services is a support hub for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Our team of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers, nutrition experts, financial counselors, and others work with your cancer care team to support your quality of life.
We support you through the challenges of lymphoma and its treatment with counseling, classes, and supportive care to meet your financial, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.
Survivorship care
At Stanford, our support doesn’t end when you complete active treatment (treatment that directly fights cancer). Our Cancer Survivorship Program offers health care and other services to help lymphoma survivors transition to life after cancer and the activities you enjoy.
Our team of cancer professionals works with your lymphoma team to develop a personalized care plan for your post-treatment quality of life. We also communicate with your primary care doctor and any outside specialists you work with to update them on your treatment at Stanford. We can coordinate your care with them to help you stay healthy for the long term.
Our Cancer Survivorship team can start working with you and your family as soon as you receive your diagnosis. We encourage you to contact us then or at any time before your treatment ends so we can start building your plan.
Palliative care
Our palliative care specialists work closely with your care team to maintain your quality of life and achieve your personal goals after cancer treatment. Our palliative care providers work with your lymphoma care team and provide services including:
- Medical care to relieve cancer symptoms and treatment side effects
- Education about ongoing lymphoma care
- Advance care planning to document your preferences for health care and end-of-life decisions
- Counseling to address issues such as:
- Anxiety and depression
- Body image
- Relationship management
- Return to work
Palliative care does not treat lymphoma. Rather, it helps you and your family cope with the disease in your daily life. You can receive palliative care:
- While you remain under your regular doctor’s care and are still receiving lymphoma treatments
- At any time, starting from diagnosis, throughout treatment, during follow-up, and at the end of life
Diagnosing lymphoma
For everyone who comes to us, we start your care by establishing or confirming a diagnosis. Because lymphoma is a diverse group of diseases, an accurate diagnosis is critical for your treatment plan. It helps us recommend the most effective treatment options for you, in the right sequence.
At Stanford, we tailor the diagnostic phase of lymphoma care to each individual patient.
- You may have come to Stanford for care through a referral from your primary care doctor or other specialist.
- If you have already received a diagnosis before coming to Stanford, your Stanford team will want to review these test results to confirm or correct your diagnosis.
Wherever you are in the process, your Stanford doctor and care team will work closely with you to determine which tests you need to complete your diagnosis.
Learn more about the diagnostic process
Developing a treatment plan
Your care team combines cancer experts in several fields. Together, they will recommend treatment options based on your specific diagnosis. We work carefully to determine the best treatment options for you and to prepare a treatment plan personalized for your particular needs. We try to maximize treatment success while minimizing the impact that diagnosis and treatment can have on your life.
Learn more about treatment planning
Different types of treatment for lymphoma have different goals, such as:
- Slowing or stopping the growth of cancer
- Destroying cancer cells
- Destroying any cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body
- Delaying or preventing cancer from coming back (recurrence)
- Managing symptoms of incurable cancer
close Before
During treatment
There are two primary approaches to lymphoma treatment. As we develop treatment recommendations for you, we consider whether the cancer is confined to one site or has spread to other parts of your body. Depending on the details of your diagnosis, you may need just one category of treatment, or both:
- Drug therapy treats the entire body with cancer-fighting medications anywhere in the body. Medical oncology is systemic because you take medications in either intravenous (IV) or pill form that circulate throughout the body. If you have drug therapy in addition to surgery or radiation therapy, the treatments are called adjuvant therapy.
Learn more about drug therapy for lymphoma - Local therapy targets the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue called a margin. Radiation therapy are local treatments.
Learn more about radiation therapy for lymphoma
We can treat lymphoma with several different methods, often combining them for the best chance at success. Our recommended plan will include the most appropriate treatment types for your unique case. It also will likely recommend that treatments be given in a specific order, to benefit you the most.
Approaches to lymphoma treatment include:
- Medical oncology: Medications that shrink tumors and destroy cancer cells include chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
- Radiation oncology: High-energy radiation therapy, such as X-rays or gamma rays, shrinks tumors and destroys cancer cells.
Clinical trials: At Stanford, our doctors are always working to improve care for people with Lymphoma. As an academic medical center, we conduct clinical trials to evaluate new medications and other treatments for safety and effectiveness.
close During
Follow-up care
After you complete your lymphoma treatment, your care team works with you to develop an ongoing care plan. Regular follow-up care, also known as surveillance, is important to:
- Monitor your overall health
- Manage any remaining side effects
- Check for possible signs of the cancer coming back (recurring)
Follow-Up Care: Managing Side Effects After Treatment
Follow-Up Care: What to Expect After Treatment
We work closely with your primary care doctor throughout your treatment, providing updates on a regular basis. We continue this partnership after you finish treatment, to coordinate your ongoing care for lymphoma and any other health concerns.
Support after treatment
Cancer Care Services is a support hub for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Our team of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers, nutrition experts, financial counselors, and others work with your cancer care team to support your quality of life.
We support you through the challenges of lymphoma and its treatment with counseling, classes, and supportive care to meet your financial, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.
Survivorship care
At Stanford, our support doesn’t end when you complete active treatment (treatment that directly fights cancer). Our Cancer Survivorship Program offers health care and other services to help lymphoma survivors transition to life after cancer and the activities you enjoy.
Our team of cancer professionals works with your lymphoma team to develop a personalized care plan for your post-treatment quality of life. We also communicate with your primary care doctor and any outside specialists you work with to update them on your treatment at Stanford. We can coordinate your care with them to help you stay healthy for the long term.
Our Cancer Survivorship team can start working with you and your family as soon as you receive your diagnosis. We encourage you to contact us then or at any time before your treatment ends so we can start building your plan.
Palliative care
Our palliative care specialists work closely with your care team to maintain your quality of life and achieve your personal goals after cancer treatment. Our palliative care providers work with your lymphoma care team and provide services including:
- Medical care to relieve cancer symptoms and treatment side effects
- Education about ongoing lymphoma care
- Advance care planning to document your preferences for health care and end-of-life decisions
- Counseling to address issues such as:
- Anxiety and depression
- Body image
- Relationship management
- Return to work
Palliative care does not treat lymphoma. Rather, it helps you and your family cope with the disease in your daily life. You can receive palliative care:
- While you remain under your regular doctor’s care and are still receiving lymphoma treatments
- At any time, starting from diagnosis, throughout treatment, during follow-up, and at the end of life
close After
At the Stanford Cancer Center, we offer multidisciplinary care for lymphoma. That means your doctors, nurses and other members of your care team work together to support you before, during and after treatment.
Your Doctors
Oncologist (MD)
This type of doctor specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Oncologists in Stanford’s lymphoma Program have years of training and experience in cancer care. The treatments we offer include:
- Radiation therapy
- Medical therapy, such as chemotherapy, (medications that travel through the bloodstream to treat cancer anywhere in the body)
You will have a care team for each type of treatment you receive. The type of oncologist on your care team will depend on the type of cancer and treatment you have. The types of oncologists include:
Medical Oncologist
These cancer doctors have specialized training in diagnosing cancer. They also treat it using medications, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biologic therapy (targeted therapy and immunotherapy). Medical oncologists often serve as your main health care provider, coordinating your treatment among several specialists.
Radiation Oncologist
These cancer specialists have subspecialty training in high-energy X-rays and other radiation therapy. Radiation can destroy or prevent the spread of cancer. Using advanced technologies, radiation oncologists can precisely target cancer cells to avoid damaging nearby healthy tissue.
Other Specialists
Anesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist is a doctor who specializes in using medications to block pain, help you relax, or make you unconscious for surgery. Anesthesiologists also maintain your vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate during surgery. Depending on the type of surgery you have, you may need local (small area), regional (larger area), or general (overall) anesthesia.
Radiologist
A radiologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer using imaging techniques including X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our radiologists have additional training and experience in cancer care. These doctors interpret imaging results and take biopsies (when needed) to help confirm a diagnosis. You may not meet your radiologist, since these doctors usually work behind the scenes to determine your diagnosis.
Pathologist
Working closely with your oncologist, your pathologist performs and reads laboratory tests to determine the type and stage of cancer present. These doctors have special training to detect and diagnose cancer. They use a microscope to examine tissue samples taken during a biopsy. As with radiologists, you may not meet your pathologist.
Extended Care Team
This oncology-certified health care provider works with your oncologist to help with diagnosis and treatment. APPs may recommend medications, lifestyle changes, and services such as genetic counseling. An APP can be a nurse practitioner (NP), physician’s assistant (PA), or clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
Nurse coordinators are specialized registered nurses who provide one-on-one support to guide you through your cancer journey. MCCs serve as your point of contact to help manage your care, from your first appointment through follow-up visits. They assess your needs, answer your questions, make referrals, coordinate appointments, and provide patient education.
Clinical nurse: A registered nurse will take care of you if you are hospitalized or need chemotherapy.
This team member helps with nonmedical issues such as scheduling your appointments, managing your paperwork, and requesting your medical records.
This type of doctor is doing postgraduate studies specializing in the care of patients with cancer.
This doctor has graduated from medical school and is in training (also called residency) at Stanford. Residents in their first year are also called interns.
This health care provider is a student enrolled in Stanford’s medical school who is studying to become a doctor.
Clinical administrative assistant (CAA): This team member helps with nonmedical issues such as scheduling your appointments, managing your paperwork, and requesting your medical records.
ITA scheduler: If you have apheresis (a specific type of blood transfusion) or chemotherapy, your infusion treatment area (ITA) scheduler will schedule your appointments.
Medical assistant (MA)This team member helps you during your doctor visits by:
- Bringing you to your exam room after you check in for an appointment
- Providing you with a hospital gown or other clothing for your physical exam
- Taking your vital signs before your doctor sees you
New patient coordinator (NPC): A staff member calls you before your first appointment to:
- Provide information that you need to know to prepare
- Provides a list of what you need to bring
- Helps gather your medical records
Patient access representative (PAS): This team member greets you at the front desk and registers you for your appointments.
Support Services
Depending on your treatment, additional health professionals may be on your care team. You may meet or hear about these team members during your visits.
Clinical nurse
A registered nurse will take care of you if you are hospitalized after surgery or need chemotherapy.
Genetic counselor
These health professionals have specialized experience in cancer genetics, the study of genes and gene mutations and how they affect a person’s risk of cancer. Not everyone may benefit from genetic testing. It is designed for people whose medical history shows the possibility of an inherited gene mutation.
Genetic counselors advise you and your family on identifying and managing any risk of inherited cancer. They work with you and your doctors to perform and review any genetic testing and help you understand the results.
Health librarian
If you are interested in learning more about cancer, our professional medical librarians can help. We offer free, science-based information on cancer and other health topics at the Stanford Health Library.
Occupational therapist (OT)
These skilled practitioners provide rehabilitation care to help you regain strength and functional ability during and after treatment for cancer. We help you with activities of daily living such as:
- Bathing or showering
- Dressing and grooming
- Using the restroom
- Feeding yourself
- Managing your medications
- Driving
Physical therapist (PT)
Cancer treatment can affect your strength and mobility, especially in the shoulder and arm. Physical therapists work with you and your family to recover your physical function after treatment, such as improving your:
- Strength, especially in the upper body
- Sensation, to relieve numbness in treated areas
- Range of motion, to reduce stiffness and pain
- Movement control, to improve endurance and reduce fatigue
Registered dietitian (RD)
Team members with specialized training and experience in food and nutrition work with you to understand your preferences and needs. RDs provide education about healthy eating and create a personalized diet to keep you healthy before, during, and after treatment.
Social worker (SW)
This health professional works with you and your family to provide emotional support, counseling, and resources such as financial assistance, spiritual counseling, and transportation. A social worker can also connect you with community services and, if you’re coming from out of town, help you find a place to stay.
Your oncologist is a physician, or doctor, focused on cancer. Your oncologist works with other types of doctors and cancer care professionals throughout the process of diagnosing and treating you for cancer.
This type of doctor specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Oncologists in Stanford’s Cancer Program have years of training and experience in cancer care. The treatments we offer include:
- Radiation therapy using high-energy radiation to destroy or prevent the spread of cancer cells
- Drug therapy such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and other medical therapies (medications that travel through the bloodstream to treat cancer anywhere in the body)
At Stanford, our team members hold subspecialty training in the latest tools and techniques for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This additional, highly specific training within cancer education means that your care team has broad and deep experience in cancer care.
Stanford is an academic medical center, a type of hospital setting in which doctors teach medical students as they complete their schooling and training. Because Stanford is a teaching hospital, you may meet many doctors and doctors in training affiliated with the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Throughout your care in the Stanford Cancer Program, you will have a board-certified doctor as your attending physician. This fully credentialed doctor has complete responsibility for your care and works with you to make all of your care decisions.
Our medical students accompany attending physicians as part of their training. This team approach provides contact with patients to prepare them as medical professionals.
Stanford Health Care has earned magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This organization awards magnet recognition for excellence and innovation in nursing practice and quality patient care. Learn more about magnet recognition at https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/.
The Stanford Cancer Center is designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. The cancer teams at these centers use the knowledge they gain from research to treat cancer more effectively. The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Learn more at www.cancer.gov.
Call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 to speak with us about how we can support you and your family members. Cancer Care Services is Stanford’s system of services that support physical, mental, and emotional healing and well-being.
We can help you identify professional therapists, services, and resources that are personalized to the needs of you and your family. Many of these services are free for Stanford patients and families.
Yes, always feel free to bring someone with you to your appointments. A family member or friend can help ask questions, write down and remember information your care team gives you, and provide support.
The decision about whether and how much to share with your children is personal. Call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 to learn about the support available for your family members.
We can help you decide on an approach for involving your family that is right for you. In addition to our services at Stanford, some of our patients and families have recommended other websites for children and teens with parents who have cancer:
An advance health care directive is a legal document you can complete. It specifies the kind of care and treatments you want (or don’t want) if you become seriously ill and can’t make such decisions yourself.
In California, an advance health care directive allows you to designate an agent, or someone you trust to make health care decisions on your behalf. You can also list your health care instructions. You can ask your doctor, nurse, social worker, or other health care provider for more information.
At Stanford, advance health care directive forms are available in the hospital units and at the clinics. You can also call our Spiritual Care Service at 650-723-5101 to get a form or discuss a directive with one of our spiritual care counselors.
Our Cancer Survivorship Program will help you adjust and cope with your new lifestyle after treatment for cancer. You’ll speak with Advance Practice Providers (APPs), survivorship experts who specialize in working with people with cancer and their families.
We help you and your family transition from diagnosis to wellness through a variety of psychosocial services, in addition to medical care. Call 650-498-6000 or visit Cancer Survivorship Program.
Our social workers can help you plan ways to manage your job during cancer care. Call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 to speak with us about your work-related concerns. We can help you with completing disability paperwork, finding financial assistance, and taking a leave of absence from your job during treatment.
You can provide support to a loved one receiving care in many ways. You can help with day-to-day activities such as accompanying them on doctor visits or preparing food, for example. You can also coordinate care and services by phone or email.
For coping, often the best support you can provide is helping your loved one work through feelings. Talk with your loved one, listen, or just be present. Although you may naturally feel inclined to put your own feelings and needs aside, it’s important to take care of yourself as well. Call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 to speak with someone about seeking support for your loved one and yourself.
Finding a balance between your loved one’s needs and your own can feel challenging. As much as possible, continue the activities that you did before diagnosis. Ask family members, friends, neighbors, and community members to help. They can provide support when you need a break.
Remember that you are not alone – you can find support among other caregivers. We offer workshops, support groups, and other programs for people who have cancer and their caregivers. Talk with your care team or call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 for more details about our cancer supportive care programs at Palo Alto and South Bay.
Only you and your loved one can decide the right time and the right words to tell family and friends about the cancer diagnosis. Family and friends may have a wide range of reactions, from wanting to know more details to giving advice to not knowing how to react at all. Talking with family and friends about the cancer diagnosis can help them provide support.
Some of our patients recommend websites where you can create personal, privacy-protected pages for your loved one’s health journey:
- CaringBridge allows people to share updates, photos, videos, and words of encouragement. You can also schedule help with everyday tasks such as meals, carpools, errands, and appointments: http://www.caringbridge.org.
- MyLifeLine offers the same services as CaringBridge but is designed specifically for people affected by cancer. In addition to the personal page for your family member, you can also find educational and supportive resources for cancer: http://www.mylifeline.org.
Common side effects include fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite, and nausea. Specific side effects depend on the type of treatment and medications the patient is receiving.
Your loved one’s care team can prepare you, so you can watch for side effects and help manage them. Ask team members:
- Which side effects should be reported right away, and how should I report them?
- Which side effects require a visit to the emergency room?
Keep track of:
- Date and time that the symptom or side effect started and how long it lasted
- Description of the side effect or symptom
- Which symptoms or side effects worsen or become difficult to manage
Your social worker can provide you the most current information on housing and hotels near Stanford’s clinics and hospitals. Call Cancer Care Services at 650-498-6000 or visit “Where to Stay”.
Find answers to your questions about cancer at the Stanford Health Library, with help from professional medical librarians and trained volunteers. We offer free science-based information to help answer your medical questions.
You can access journal articles, books, e-books, databases, and videos to learn more about medical conditions and treatment options at the library. We also provide information on related issues such as coping, caregiving, pain management, and eating. Request a comprehensive literature search on the latest research to answer your specific questions. Stop in, call, or email your questions.
- Cancer Center, Palo Alto: First floor near the café, 650-736-1960
- Cancer Center, South Bay: Third floor lobby, 408-353-0197
- Email us your questions: healthlibrary@stanfordhealthcare.org
Meet with one of our financial counselors to determine the best approach to paying for your health care. Call 844-498-2900, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Our financial counselors will work with you to:
- Understand your health insurance coverage and benefits
- Estimate your out-of-pocket costs for your care at Stanford
- Connect you with as many resources as possible to help pay for your care
- Answer your questions about billing and financial assistance, including helping you complete financial applications
- Find places to stay near Stanford
Stanford Health Care offers a variety of financial assistance options for uninsured or underinsured patients. Some options require an application, while others do not:
No application is necessary for:
- Discounts for people who are uninsured (some services may be excluded)
- No-interest payment plans (balances typically to be paid within 6 months)
You must submit a completed financial assistance application and proof of income for:
- Financial need discounts at a rate comparable to our government payers (some services may be excluded)
- Full financial assistance for 100 percent of the patient portion of treatment costs (some services may be excluded)
- Extended no-interest payment plans for patients who qualify for financial need discounts
You can obtain a financial assistance application form:
- Downloading and printing the form > link to form online
- In the Patient & Family Resource Guide > link to PDF
- By asking your care team or a financial counselor for the form
For confidential help with your health care questions, contact the Stanford Health Library. Professional medical librarians and trained volunteers can help you access journals, books, e-books, databases, and videos to learn more about medical conditions, treatment options, and related issues.
- 875 Blake Wilbur, Palo Alto: 1st floor near the cafe, 650-736-1960
- South Bay Cancer Center: 3rd floor lobby, 408-353-0197
- Email us your questions: healthlibrary@stanfordhealthcare.org
At your first appointment, you will meet the team who will take care of you throughout your treatment. During this visit, your doctor will discuss your medical history with you in detail, perform a physical examination, and discuss possible treatment options. During your first visit, we will share some important information about cancer and your treatment options.