Your\u00a0disease\u00a0subtype\u00a0will\u00a0determine\u00a0your\u00a0treatment<\/p>\n
Another reason an accurate diagnosis matters? Your specific lymphoma subtype determines your treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we treat lymphoma today is very different from how we treated it 30 years ago,\u201d notes Ahmed. \u201cCellular therapy has changed the way we treat lymphoma forever. Part of the change involves the use of\u00a0targeted therapy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0immunotherapy<\/a>,\u00a0which greatly depends on the markers that sit on top of the lymphoma cells. If you don\u2019t have the right diagnosis based on the right markers, then you could potentially over-treat or mistreat a patient because you\u2019re not using the right drugs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A lymphoma subtype can sometimes morph into something else<\/p>\n Lymphoma can sometimes morph into an entirely\u00a0different variety, especially if\u00a0the disease\u00a0recurs<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have an indolent lymphoma turn into a more aggressive subtype,\u201d says Ahmed. \u201cYou can also have a person with\u00a0two completely different\u00a0kinds<\/a>\u00a0of lymphoma.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why repeat\u00a0biopsies<\/a>\u00a0are\u00a0critical,\u201d adds Westin.\u00a0\u201cThe next targeted therapy agent you choose could be going after a target that\u2019s no longer there. And, it\u2019s not going to work if the cancer cell is not making that target anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n To hear the complete conversation\u00a0between Ahmed and Westin, listen to\u00a0the podcast<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n