(((PING))))
April 11, 2007
In 2004, Senator Thompson was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma. Today, he is in remission from this, slow-growing disease. Doctors cannot currently detect the lymphoma by physical examinations or scans. Here are the facts:
WHAT IS IT?
Senator Thompson has an indolent form of lymphoma, one of more than 30 types of lymphoma.
Some lymphomas are very aggressive, but people with slow-growing types, like Senator Thompson's, often dying from natural causes associated with old age, rather than from the disease.
Using a standard prognostic scoring system Senator Thompson has a favorable prognosis.
Senator Thompson has never been physically ill or had any symptoms from his lymphoma or had any side effects from the therapy.
TREATMENT
One treatment option for this type of lymphoma is simply to watch and wait.
There are also new therapies, if and when treatment is indicated, which prolong survival compared to treatments used just 5 years ago.
Senator Thompson chose to receive such therapy (Rituxan), but he is no longer in treatment as he is in remission.
Bruce D. Cheson, M.D.
Professor of Medicine
Head of Hematology
Division of Hematology/Oncology
Thanks so much for the ping :)