Important Safety Information
Some Treatment Options
There are many treatment options for NHL. Treatment options are often tailored to each patient. But it is important to understand what options are available. Some common treatment options are watch-and-wait (only for low-grade [indolent] NHL), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.
Watch-and-wait—for Indolent Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Only
Watch-and-wait can be an option for some patients with low-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or NHL. This means your doctor may choose to closely monitor your condition without treatment until your symptoms appear or change. This type of observation is considered useful for some patients, but is not right for everyone. If watch-and-wait is an option for you, your doctor can explain what it means for your disease and your treatment.
Throughout watch-and-wait, you will still visit your doctor on a regular basis, receive scans and blood tests, and be told to report any symptoms immediately. When there is a change in your health status, another treatment method may be considered.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays aimed at a tumor. Radiation especially attacks cells that are growing and dividing. And because cancer cells grow quickly, they are more likely than normal cells to be killed by radiation. This treatment may be used in combination with other treatments for NHL. But there may be some side effects such as skin problems and tiredness.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy attacks fast-growing cells like tumor cells. It is often very good at killing tumor cells. And it is often an important part of many NHL treatment regimens. However, chemotherapy also attacks other fast-growing cells throughout the body. So it can have related side effects such as nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and hair loss.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is different from chemotherapy because it attacks specific types of cells. Monoclonal antibodies are a type of targeted therapy used to treat NHL. They target a specific marker on certain cells where cancer starts. And they work with your immune system to find and destroy those cells. They can be used alone or with chemotherapy. And if you receive these treatments together, you may have side effects from both. Some side effects of monoclonal antibodies are fever, chills, and shaking during the infusion, especially the first infusion. Some common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. Monoclonal antibodies can also cause serious side effects. Be sure to discuss the benefits and risks of your treatment with your doctor.
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.
Indications and Important Safety Information
RITUXAN® (Rituximab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with:
- Relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL as a single agent
- Previously untreated follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL in combination with CVP chemotherapy
- 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
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.
