Chemotherapy for Lymphoma in Children

Chemotherapy (chemo) is one of the main treatments for lymphoma in children and teens.

Chemo is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. It enters the bloodstream and can reach nearly all areas of the body, making it a very useful treatment for cancers that spread widely, such as lymphomas. It can be taken by mouth or put into a vein or a muscle. It can also be put into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during a lumbar puncture, called intrathecal chemo.

Which chemo drugs are used to treat lymphoma in children?

Children and teens with lymphoma often get a combination of several chemo drugs over a period of time. The number of drugs, their doses, and the length of treatment depend on the type and stage of the lymphoma.

Some of the chemo drugs commonly used to treat childhood lymphoma include:

• Anthracyclines (doxorubicin, daunorubicin)
• Alkylating chemo (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, dacarbazine)
• L-asparaginase, PEG-L-asparaginase
• Steroids (prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone)
• Vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine)
• 6-mercaptopurine
• Methotrexate
• Cytarabine
• Etoposide
• Bleomycin

To learn more about the chemo drugs used to treat specific types and stages of lymphoma, see Common Treatment Approaches.

Possible side effects of chemo

Chemo drugs affect cells that multiply fast. Cancer cells multiply quickly, but so do other healthy cells in the body, including blood-forming cells, hair cells, and cells that make up the lining of the gut. When chemo damages these healthy cells, it can lead to side effects.

These side effects vary depending on the type of chemo drugs, the doses, and the length of time they are given.

Common short-term side effects

Common side effects of chemo include:

• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation

Side effects from low blood counts

Chemo can damage the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made. This can lower a child’s blood cell counts, leading to:

• Increased chance of infections, due to low white blood cell counts (leukopenia)
• Easy bruising or bleeding, due to low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia)
• Fatigue, due to low red blood cell counts (anemia)

Long-term side effects

Some chemo drugs can also have long-term side effects, also known as late effects.

This can include effects on a child’s growth and development, effects on their fertility later in life, or an increased risk of getting a second cancer (often acute myeloid leukemia).

For more on long-term side effects, see After Treatment for Lymphoma in Children.

Side effects of specific chemo drugs

Some chemo drugs have specific side effects. For example:

Managing these side effects

Most side effects usually go away once a child finishes chemo.

There are often ways to reduce these side effects. For example, a child can take medicines to help prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting. Tell the cancer care team if your child has any side effects and ask about medicines to help reduce them.