Every patient who undergoes radiation and chemotherapy runs a high risk of becoming sterile. Men who intend to father children should bank their sperm before treatment. For women, measures to ensure having children in the future are more difficult. It is possible to bank eggs or fertilized embryos, but the stored eggs are not likely to result in a successful pregnancy.
Because lymphoma strikes the lymphatic system, it decreases immune-system function. The treatment for the disease may also lower a person's immunity. For this reason, preventing and fighting infection caused by bacteria and viruses is an important part of disease treatment.
Tumor lysis syndrome is a potentially dangerous complication of chemotherapy. It occurs when cancerous tissue breaks down and releases toxic material into the bloodstream, and some of its effects can be lessened or prevented by pre-treatment with intravenous fluid and the medication allopurinol.
Second cancers also are a significant concern for patients with lymphoma. These cancers usually are related to the effects of radiation or chemotherapy.
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