High-Risk Lymphoma Clinic

Expert Care for Aggressive, High-Risk Lymphomas

Certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma grow quickly and are referred to as aggressive lymphomas. Aggressive lymphomas are considered high risk and require prompt, focused care from a team of highly skilled lymphoma specialists. At UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, we created our High-Risk Lymphoma Clinic to meet the unique needs of patients with aggressive lymphomas.

The High-Risk Lymphoma Clinic provides care for patients with the following lymphoma subtypes:

• Relapsed/refractory aggressive large B-cell lymphoma
  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • High-grade B-cell lymphoma (i.e., double/triple-hit lymphoma)
  • Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma
  • Transformed indolent lymphomas

• Richter’s syndrome (transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into an aggressive lymphoma)
• Relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma
• Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (either newly diagnosed or after prior therapy)

Our Dedicated Team of Lymphoma Specialists

Each patient's case is reviewed by an interdisciplinary team of lymphoma specialists made up of physicians from medical oncology, radiation oncology, hematopathology and radiology. Lymphoma nurse navigators are key members of the treatment team, working closely with patients and their families throughout the cancer journey. Our lymphoma team meets weekly to discuss patient progress.

The Best Treatment Plan Is Guided by a Thorough Diagnosis

Because there are more than 70 variants of lymphoma, it's crucial to get an accurate diagnosis. UChicago Medicine hematopathologists are nationally recognized for their expertise in pinpointing even the rarest lymphoma subtypes. Patients also have access to advanced diagnostic techniques such as PET-CT imaging to aid in determining the exact extent of disease and to guide treatment options.

Comprehensive Care, Including Access to Innovative Therapies

At the High-Risk Lymphoma Clinic, we offer the full spectrum of treatments for aggressive lymphoma, including options not widely available at most hospitals, such as:

• Advanced chemotherapies and targeted agents which attack cancer cells and halt their growth
• Radiation therapy, which uses radiation to destroy cancerous cells
• Stem cell transplantation, also known as bone marrow transplantation. Stem cell transplants have the potential to cure relapsed lymphoma.  
• Immunotherapy, or treatments that mobilize the body's own immune system to fight cancer 
• CAR T-cell therapy, a revolutionary type of immunotherapy that supercharges a patient's disease-fighting T-cells to seek out and destroy cancer cells
• Clinical trials of promising lymphoma treatments

Our Commitment to Seeing Patients Quickly