Treatment for cutaneous B-cell lymphoma may include observation, radiation therapy and surgery to remove the cancer. Other treatment options may include skin-directed medicines, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Which treatment is right for you depends on the type of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma you have, whether you have symptoms, the location of your cancer and the extent of your cancer, called the stage. Your healthcare team also considers how quickly the cancer is growing, your overall health and what you prefer.

Observation

If your cutaneous B-cell lymphoma doesn't cause symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. Instead, you may have checkups every few months. The checkups help your healthcare team watch your condition to see if your cancer progresses.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy treats cancer with powerful energy beams. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you. The machine directs radiation to precise points in your body.

Radiation therapy may be used alone to treat cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. Sometimes it's used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might be left. Radiation therapy may be used to treat lymphoma that has come back after treatment, called relapsed cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. It also may be used when other treatments haven't worked, called refractory cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. Radiation therapy also may be used to ease symptoms and improve quality of life in people with ongoing symptoms or lesions.

Surgery to remove the cancer

Your healthcare professional may recommend a procedure to remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue that surrounds it. This might be an option if you have one or only a few areas of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. Surgery might be the only treatment needed. Sometimes other treatments are needed after surgery.

Skin-directed medicines

Sometimes medicine can be applied to the skin or injected into the cancer. One example is steroid medicines. This treatment is sometimes used for cutaneous B-cell lymphoma that grows very slowly.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy treats cancer with strong medicines. There are many chemotherapy medicines. Chemotherapy medicines can be applied to the skin to treat cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy also can be given through a vein. You may get a combination of chemotherapy medicines. Chemotherapy also may be combined with immunotherapy. This might be used if the cancer is growing quickly or has spread beyond the skin.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy for cancer is a treatment with medicine that helps the body's immune system kill cancer cells. The immune system fights off diseases by attacking germs and other cells that shouldn't be in the body. Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system. Immunotherapy helps the immune system cells find and kill the cancer cells.

Immunotherapy may be used to treat cutaneous B-cell lymphoma that is limited to the skin. It is sometimes combined with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy also may be used on relapsed and refractory cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.

Monitoring after treatment

After treatment is complete, you may have frequent follow-up appointments to see if the cancer has come back, known as a relapse. You may have repeat biopsies and blood and imaging tests to check for relapse.