Search Results
Michael
My son Michael Angelo Gianchiglia passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma July 21, 2011.
Angelo was 26 years old. He fought the fight through chemo, radiation and finally a clinical trial.
He fought for two years. Our family considers Michael as a winner and a hero!!!
Forever loved. Forever in our hearts.
Kacy
I am on this adventure to help others and challenge myself! I do not have a personal story or relationship with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), but I am honored to be nominated as a Visionary and know my involvement will help change lives. I also want to share this experience with my daughter and teach her the power of action. I am excited to see where this goes, and the sky is the limit!
Jacqueline
After a year of misdiagnoses, I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) on Valentine's Day 2007 when I was 22 years old. I had to take medical leave from my senior year of college to move home with my parents to undergo treatment in Albany, New York. After seven months of chemo, I was in remission and have been since!
Zoe
My name is Zoe. I am 23 years old, and I am currently on my way to remission from primary mediastinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PMBL). It was always my dream to be a young mom, and when I finally got pregnant, I could not have been happier. However, I got to 32 weeks pregnant, and I was severely out of breath. I went to the hospital which led me to finding out I had lymphoma. They found a 12 cm. mass in my chest. My whole life came crumbling down at that very moment. I had no symptoms of my cancer whatsoever, and doctors thought I had a 1% chance of having cancer.
Christian
I'm Christian, a 20-year-old patient currently fighting a rare type of lymphoma with no cure. It's called subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma. I was diagnosed on January 27, 2020, after a year of many tests and hospital stays. I pushed myself to get through high school and thank God and with a lot of hard work, I finished and graduated with my class, even while on a chemo-like treatment.
I never quit finished at the top of my classes and a perseverance award. I'm currently on a medical clinical trial treatment at City of Hope.
David
I am a proud, 52-year-old stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivor now living in Los Angeles again (my long-time home). I was living in Cleveland to help with some family matters for a couple of years. I found a great new job in Los Angeles, and the very day I accepted the new job, I received my diagnosis (August 25, 2022). That put my life on hold.
Andrew
My son, Andrew, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in January 2022. He had been very tired for months, and we had a frustrating few months while our primary care physician (PCP) missed his diagnosis and chalked it up to being a busy teen and perhaps needing a sleep study. When he was finally diagnosed, he was stage 4. He underwent six months of intense chemotherapy. Mid-treatment scans showed a complete response, and we were excited and relieved. His post-treatment PET scan, however, showed recurrence.
Kay and David LaFrance
As an 18-year breast cancer survivor, Kay was just starting to enjoy retirement in 2018 when she was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. Even though she had fought cancer before, she was stricken with despair and disbelief and felt terrified of the road ahead of her. She had to travel to a different city to receive her specialized treatment, which was outside of her insurance network, so much of the costs came out of her own pocket. After a long, hard fight, she is now in remission, but lives with the everyday fear of her cancer coming back.
Elyssa
My daughter, Elyssa donated her hair for children with cancer only months before she herself was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. Upon her diagnosis, she had the rest of her hair put in ponytails and had it cut to her scalp so the rest could be donated.
Being diagnosed in her first year of college at University of Connecticut, she immediately went to the disabilities office and applied so she could continue with the semester.
Heather
Heather Banks draws her inspiration from her good friend, who has been fighting non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for the past 10 years and her college best friend who is a survivor. She is motivated by her friends’ strength, determination, and positivity. In times of feeling helpless, she channels that energy and puts it into her sewing machine.
Jessica
My name is Jessi, and I am a stage 4B Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivor. My journey to diagnosis was a long and winding road, filled with misdiagnoses until January 2016 when my battle truly began. That year was the toughest of my life, enduring the rigors of chemo and radiation. But it was also the year I decided to document my journey through my blog, Lymphoma Barbie, not just as a personal outlet but as a beacon of hope for others navigating the murky waters of cancer.
Terry
My life has been an interesting journey. In April 2019, I lost my wife of 20 years, and in August 2020, I lost my older brother to leukemia. My wife was 50, and my brother was 64. After several months of excruciating pain in my abdomen, I was finally diagnosed with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL) in May 2021. I was 58. Upon entering the hospital in June for my first round of chemo, I was diagnosed with acute renal failure. After several days of treatment, I finally started my chemotherapy. I was lucky, or so I thought, no radiation for me.
Gabe
Just after I turned 12 years old, I was diagnosed with blood cancer. LLS supported me and my family as I endured chemotherapy treatment to be cancer free and beat Burkitts lymphoma. Now 16, I am inspired everyday to work hard in school to achieve my goal of becoming an oncologist to help kids, like me, beat blood cancer. Thank you LLS!
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient’s own stem cells for the transplant. The stem cells are collected from the patient in advance and are frozen. After the patient undergoes high doses of chemotherapy, either with or without radiation therapy, the stem cells are then returned to the body. This type of transplant is often used to treat blood cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma.
Chaneta Juliet
Hi, my name is Chaneta, I like to go by Juliet. This past year has been an interesting one, to say the least. I’m a singer-songwriter who wrote and released an album in October 2017. I thought the year was going to be an amazing one–promoting and performing–unfortunately, I performed one time and I began to literally unravel. In December 2017, I caught the flu. Normal stuff, not too bad right? Well, about three weeks in, it got worse. It turned into walking pneumonia. Chest X-rays revealed a blood clot lodged in my right-side lung.
Emily
Summer 2019 I was feeling great and cancer was the last thing on my mind. I had just run a half marathon and was planning to do a few more destination races. Shortly after the half marathon, I started getting awful knee pain. It was excruciating but I never thought much of it, assuming it was just an injury. After making an appointment at a sports medicine facility an MRI revealed there was a good size tumor in my left knee. This doctor told me it is most likely a giant cell tumor which is benign. From there he referred me to an orthopedic specialist down in Boston.
Claudia
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) at the age of 30 after experiencing severe symptoms (cough, shortness of breath). I’m currently under treatment in Italy, my home country, and only have one round of chemo left. This journey has been difficult but has also taught me so much about myself, my strength, and the courage I didn’t think I had.
Acosta
In 1992 my son was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3 and after 3 yrs of chemotherapy he’s finally cured.
In 2009 I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma stage 4. I underwent 3 years of chemotherapy and today I’m in remission!
As mother and son survivors, we have been walking and part taking in as many events as we can, he’s my inspiration! We will walk again this year together once again!
Kristen
I’d like to share my daughter’s story. Her name is Kristen, and she is 10 years in remission now after being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). December 2024 will be 11 years. We have been attending Light The Night (LTN) for the last eight years and bring friends and family each time. It is a great event that offers support for all patients and family members.
Understanding Blood Cancers and Treatment Options
Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are types of cancer that can affect the bone marrow, blood cells, lymph nodes and other parts of the lymphatic system. See the Disease Information pages to learn more about the different types of blood cancer.
Nutrition
Food provides valuable nutrients for cancer patients. Eating well during cancer treatment helps to speed recovery, ease side effects, and keep the treatment plan running smoothly.
Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy
Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for HL. A combination chemotherapy regimen consists of two or more chemotherapy drugs. Generally, the drugs are dissolved in fluid and usually administered via a peripheral intravenous (IV) line. If finding an accessible vein is problematic, a central line (a port, or a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (a PICC or PIC line) may be used for some HL patients.