Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treatment and side effects
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) transformed treatment
Some people with low-grade (slow-growing) NHL will go on to develop DLBCL through a process called transformation.
If transformation happens, it's usually from a type of low-grade NHL called follicular lymphoma.
The low-grade NHL rarely transforms completely. So your treatment will focus on the fast-growing DLBCL, but you will probably still have some low-grade disease as well.
- If you’ve been on watch and wait, your recommended treatment will usually be a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP.
- If you’ve had chemotherapy before, you might be offered an alternative chemotherapy treatment.
- You may receive an autologous stem cell transplant (using your own cells) at the end of your treatment, if you’re fit enough and the lymphoma responds to chemotherapy.
If your treatment is successful, you’ll be in complete remission from the DLBCL. While your treatment plan will also be effective against the low-grade NHL, it’s likely that the low-grade disease may come back in the future. If this happens, then the disease will be controlled using treatments designed for low-grade NHL.
We have specific information on follicular lymphoma.