Video: Treatment Approaches for Localized and Systemic Lymphoma


Lymphomas that are confined to a single organ, such as the stomach or the eye, can often be cured with low doses of targeted radiation therapy, says Memorial Sloan Kettering radiation oncologist Joachim Yahalom.

Radiation therapy may be combined with chemotherapy to enhance the effectiveness of each and reduce the risk of recurrence when the disease is more widespread.

For lymphoma that has spread throughout the body (systemic lymphoma), doctors may use radioimmunotherapy, which contains antibodies that are attached to radioactive cells called radioisotopes. When given through intravenous infusion, radioimmunotherapy delivers radiation to cancer cells throughout the body without harming healthy cells.