LymphomaEver since he was a kid, Andrew Dale has excelled as an athlete on both the baseball diamond and thetrack. In college, he ran the 400-meter dash for UCLA’s top-ranked track team.“I've always been very, very competitive and very driven. I found lot of my confidence throughathletics.”-Andrew, PatientAfter college Andrew took up cycling to challenge himself.“I’ve always been the type of person that wants to just to push myself to the limit. At first, I hatedclimbing hills but now, I just love it. I see a mountain, I think I can't wait to climb up that. It's hard toexplain but it's that feeling of accomplishment when you get to the top.”-Andrew, PatientBut three years ago, Andrew was forced to stop cycling because of ongoing stomach pain, fatigue, andweight loss. Eventually, he saw a doctor, who discovered a mass in his abdomen. Tests revealed Andrewhad Lymphoma.“Lymphoma is a cancer of Lymphocytes - a type of white blood cell. White blood cells like Lymphocytesreside primarily in the bone marrow, in the Lymph nodes, in the spleen.”- Dr. Sean Fischer, MD,Oncologist and HematologistLymphocytes make up the Lymph system, which is part of your immune system and helps protect againstinfection. The lymph system collects excess fluid from the body’s tissues, filters it, and returns it to thebloodstream. There’s lymph tissue throughout the body, so lymphoma can begin almost anywhere.“Lymphoma arises primarily in the lymph nodes, but you can see lymphoma arise in other areas wherethere are lymphocytes, such as the spleen, the bone marrow and other occasions, unusual locations,salivary glands, the gastrointestinal tract.”- Dr. Sean Fischer, MD, Oncologist and HematologistUsing scans and other tests, doctors assign Lymphoma a stage ranging from 1 to 4. The higher thenumber, the more the cancer has spread. There are two main kinds of Lymphoma: Hodgkin and NonHodgkin. They differ in the types of Lymphocytes involved. Specifically, people with Hodgkin lymphomahave abnormal lymphocytes known as Reed-Sternberg cells.The main treatments for Hodgkin Lymphoma are chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells throughout thebody and radiation, which uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells.Page 1 of 2This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.HCON1003398 EN Lymphoma.pdf© The Wellness NetworkLymphoma“Hodgkin's lymphoma is incredibly treatable. In fact, we relish the opportunity to treat patientswith Hodgkin's lymphoma because generally they do so well.”- Dr. Sean Fischer, MD, Oncologistand HematologistNon-Hodgkin Lymphoma is more common than Hodgkin, and more often diagnosed at an advancedstage. Andrew’s diagnosis was stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.“I immediately thought to myself, “All right, I’m going to beat this.” I knew one hundred per centcertainty that I was going to knock this out. We immediately started doing everything we neededto do to start chemo as soon as possible.”-Andrew, PatientIn addition to Chemotherapy and Radiation, treatments for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma include:Immunotherapy, which boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. Targeted Therapy, whichtargets substances that help cancer cells grow and spread. And Stem Cell transplants, which replaceblood-forming cells after they’re destroyed by high-dose chemotherapy or radiation. Also, those whoare eligible may consider enrolling in Clinical Trials which are studies of new therapies.After seven rounds of chemotherapy and an operation to remove the remaining tumor, Andrew’sLymphoma went into remission.“I never for a second thought I wasn't going to beat this. I know it’s not coming back. I know I’mhealthy.”-Andrew, PatientTo confirm that, Andrew continues to be monitored with blood tests every three months. And nowthat he’s scaled the biggest mountain in his personal life, he’s back to climbing the ones on the openroad.“Once I recovered I got back on the bike. I've been full of energy. I have got no health concernswhatsoever and life is good.”-Andrew, PatientPage 2 of 2This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.HCON1003398 EN Lymphoma.pdf© The Wellness Network
