Bone marrow transplantation is being tested in clinical trials for certain patients.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drugs enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Bone marrow transplantation is a newer type of treatment. Sometimes lymphoma cells become resistant to treatment with radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Very high doses of chemotherapy may then be used to treat the cancer.