About NHL

Goals of Treatment for NHL

You may just be starting treatment for your non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Or you may need treatment again because the disease has advanced (relapse). But whether or not you've been treated before, some goals of treatment are to:

  • Relieve symptoms
  • Keep the disease from advancing
  • Get the disease into remission

There are many treatment options for NHL. The right treatment for you depends on a number of factors. These include:

  • The type of NHL—indolent or aggressive
  • The stage of NHL—how much NHL there is and where it is in your body
  • Your personal characteristics—such as age and overall health
Keep in mind: Treatments may vary from patient to patient. And it is important to understand what options are available and to discuss your treatment goals with your doctor.
 
After follicular NHL goes into partial or complete remission following initial treatment with RITUXAN plus chemotherapy, RITUXAN maintenance therapy may help keep the disease from advancing. To learn more, click here.
 

This information does not take the place of talking with your doctor. Discuss with your doctor any questions you have about your medical condition or your treatment.

Next Section Radiation Therapy

Indications

RITUXAN® (Rituximab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with:

  • Previously untreated follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL in combination with first-line chemotherapy and, in patients achieving a complete or partial response to RITUXAN in combination with chemotherapy, as single-agent maintenance therapy
  • Non-progressing (including stable disease), low-grade, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL, as a single agent, after first-line CVP chemotherapy
  • Previously untreated diffuse large B-cell, CD20-positive NHL in combination with CHOP or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens
  • Relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL as a single agent

People with serious infections should not receive RITUXAN.

Important Safety Information

  • RITUXAN can cause serious side effects that can lead to death, including infusion reactions, tumor lysis syndrome (TLS; kidney failure due to fast breakdown of cancer cells), severe skin and mouth reactions, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML; a rare, serious brain infection).
  • RITUXAN has also been associated with serious and life-threatening side effects, including the return of active hepatitis B virus infection with sudden and serious liver problems including liver failure, and death, other serious infections that can lead to death, heart problems, kidney problems, and stomach and serious bowel problems including blockage and tears in the bowel that can sometimes lead to death.
  • The most common side effects of RITUXAN seen in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were infusion reactions, fever, chills, low white blood cells, infections, body aches, and tiredness. Before starting treatment with RITUXAN it is important to talk to your doctor about your medical history.
  • Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all of the possible side effects with RITUXAN. For more information, ask your doctor.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.

CVP=cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone or prednisolone; CHOP=cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone.