The healthcare team
On your visits to the clinic you’ll meet many different people who’ll be involved in looking after you in different ways. These people specialise in treating patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and work together as a dedicated lymphoma healthcare team. This is known as a multidisciplinary approach. The way that the people in the team work together depends on the health service in your area or country, but generally, you will have one main point of contact.
Don’t be afraid to ask the people on your healthcare team questions
Someone will always have time to help you understand things. Even if you don’t ask the right person at first, they will be able to direct you to someone who can help.
Who will I meet and what do they do?
Haematologist – a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating diseases of the blood
One of the specialist doctors who will decide on the best course of treatment for you. He or she will be involved in the planning of any treatment that you will receive, including such things as which drugs ought to be given, what the doses ought to be, how often the drugs are given, and how long the course of treatment will be.
Sometimes your healthcare team might include two haematologists who work together – one who works at the hospital and one who is mostly office-based.
Oncologist – a doctor who specialises in treating cancers, especially through the use of chemotherapy or immunotherapy
You may find yourself under the care of an oncologist either as well as, or instead of, a haematologist.
Radiotherapist – a specialist cancer doctor with a particular interest in radiotherapy
Also known as radiation oncologists or clinical oncologists. The radiotherapist will be involved in planning radiotherapy, such as how much radiation is needed and the best way of delivering the radiation to the areas of the body that need it.
Radiographer – a specialist in imaging tests
The tests you may need for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) include: X-rays, CT scans (computerised tomography, sometimes known as computerised axial tomography [CAT] scans), MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging scans) and PET scans (positron emission tomography scans).
Treatment nurse – a nurse who has had special training in the use and administration of chemotherapy and immunotherapy
If you are having treatment in hospital or in an outpatients' clinic, a specialist treatment nurse will give it to you. The treatment nurse will also be able to give advice about side effects of the therapy and about what to do if anything unusual happens during a course of treatment.
Pathologist – analyses tissue samples
Examines tissue taken during a biopsy, for example, so giving the final diagnosis of the disease and information on exactly what type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) you have. They also examine tissue that has been removed during surgery for the presence of disease. You probably won’t meet a pathologist but you might hear them mentioned.
Clinical nurse specialist – a nurse who has specialised in NHL
Although they are not necessarily directly involved in any of the treatments that you might receive, the clinical nurse specialist is often your main point of contact at the clinic.
Surgeons – perform operations
And don’t forget your family doctor
You will probably continue to see your family doctor for any other health concerns that you may have.
Although family doctors are not specialists in lymphoma, they will be able to help you, and your family, by providing explanations and advice about non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and the various treatments and options.
The lymphoma specialists should keep your family doctor informed about the exact diagnosis, the treatment, and any other issues surrounding the management of your lymphoma.