The cured lymphoma patient: guidelines for long-term follow-up

Successful treatment of lymphoma represents a major achievement of modern medicine. At diagnosis, the major emphasis is placed properly on achieving durable remission. Once treatment has been successful, however, the emphasis must shift to helping the patient resume a normal and productive life. The primary care physician will probably be responsible for the long-term care of these patients. He or she should be alert to the possible disease- and therapy-induced problems such patients face (even years after treatment), especially those common problems in which informed intervention is most effective. The approach summarized here can be readily integrated with normal health surveillance measures but should be modified to suit the individual patient and supplemented as new information appears. Use of these guidelines may help the cured lymphoma patient realize maximum benefit from difficult but lifesaving therapy.