It’s what’s making lymph nodes in my groin and armpit swell… A medic explains:
“Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is what you’ve got there –
Your B cells1 are running amok!
We’ll get you PET-scanned2 just as soon as we can,
And then we shall need to take stock.
“Of all the lymphomas, non-Hodgkin is best3,
We’ll treat it and try hard to cure it.
We’ll inject some strong chemicals4 into your blood:
It’s not nice, but you’ll have to endure it.
“Chemotherapy kills all those rascally cells
That are doing their darndest to wreck you.
Six cycles5 of chemo should sort it all out,
After which we will scan you and check you.
“On day 1 of each cycle, you’ll come to our ward
Where those powerful drugs get infused,
Then we’ll send you back home with a whole lot of pills –
Read their labels so you don’t get confused!
“Here’s a long list of side-effects that you might get.
You’ll see that you might lose your hair
And feel pretty tired, and your guts might play up –
But others are thankfully rare.
32 weeks later:
Now six cycles have passed, and a PET scan’s been done…
Good news! It’s all looking ok!
The hair will re-grow6, and the tiredness will go:
It was worth it! So hip, hip, HOORAY! 7
Notes:
1 B cells, or B lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell essential to the human immune system
2 Positron Emission Tomography, which detects the mild radiation from an isotope injected into your bloodstream
3 “Overall, most cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are considered very treatable,” according to the NHS website
4 In the late 1990s, the monoclonal antibody Rituximab (‘R’) was added to the usual mix of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (‘CHOP’) which had been used since the 1970s. Then, in 2020, Polatuzumab vedotin (‘P’) was approved for use in the UK. The resulting group of drugs, known as ‘Pola-R-CHP’, is now a first-line treatment for adults like me with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
5 Of three weeks each.
6 Or so they say.
7 For now, at least…
See also “Streptomycin”