Coping With NHL: A Healthy Lifestyle Can Help

Successful treatment can start with a healthy lifestyle. The following tips can help:

  • Eat right. A balanced diet is important throughout cancer treatment. But you may have side effects that affect your appetite. Try having a few small meals or snacks throughout the day instead of 2 or 3 large meals. Drink cool, clear liquids to help calm your stomach
  • Stay involved. Do something engaging with your loved ones, like playing a game, listening to music, or watching a movie
  • Get plenty of rest. You may feel tired during and after treatment. Ask others to help you with chores such as shopping, housework, or driving. Take naps throughout the day and sleep longer at night if you need to
  • Exercise. If your doctor recommends it, light exercise such as walking may help with fatigue
  • Seek support. You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. This is common. Sharing your feelings with a support group or loved one can help you cope

Understanding your feelings

A diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) can bring up many emotions. Here are some steps that may help you cope:

  • Accept your feelings. It is okay to feel sad or angry. But focusing on the reasons for hope can help
  • Keep your routine as normal as possible
  • Write down your feelings and share them with others
  • As much as possible, keep doing the things you like to do

NHL is a serious disease. But remember that there are many treatments and many excellent support resources for people with NHL.

Caregivers can help

Giving emotional support is a natural way to help your loved one. But at times, it may also be quite challenging. The following tips may help:

  • Help your loved one work through the many feelings he or she may be having. Let him or her know you are there to help
  • Meet other patients or caregivers who are dealing with NHL
  • Support groups can connect you with another person who is living with your loved one's type of cancer

Support for Caregivers

Get tips and advice to help you care for a loved one with NHL.


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

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.