In the final phase, called maintenance, anti-cancer drugs are given to try to keep the lymphoma from coming back. Many of the same anti-cancer drugs are used in the four treatment arms. The differences between the treatment arms relate to when, how often, and for how long an individual drug is given. Treatment on each of the arms lasts about two years. Although different chemotherapy treatments are being used, the potential side effects related to the different treatments are similar.
Side effects are unintended results of a treatment.
On this study, side effects could include nausea, vomiting, temporary hair loss, and low numbers of blood cells, which can result in increased risk of infection, increased bleeding, and weakness. Some less likely side effects are damage to blood vessels, damage to the brain, damage to heart function, and development of a second cancer caused by treatment. Those children undergoing radiation treatment to the head after chemotherapy are likely to experience additional side effects that are related to the radiation treatment. These side effects include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and sleepiness. Some long-term side effects that may occur include growth failure, low levels of hormones, learning and memory problems, and the possible development of brain tumors.