I'm just going to jump in here and give a quick recap of my experience with Rituxan.

I was dx'd w/NHL in Nov of 02 (stage 1B, left groin), had 4 cycles of CHOP+R and then 5 weeks of radiation.

The rituxan was given 2 days prior to the rest of the chemo. I was always given Benadryl via the IV first, then the Rituxan. The Rituxan was given slowly; the chemo nurse would keep an eye out for bad reactions. Some people have an allergic reaction to the Rituxan (I was told - also the reason for the Benadryl). I actually nodded off for about an hour. When I woke up, the nurse told me my face was red. I took myself and the chemo setup into the bathroom and looked in the mirror - my face was tomato red. Never saw anything like it. It faded by the time I was done (took about 3 hours for that first time). I never had any other reactions from the Rituxan.

It's going on 3 years this month since my last treatment and no evidence of cancer. I still see my onc every 6 months or so.

-There are many chemotherapy drugs. Which chemotherapy programme is used for a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may depend on many things, including:

* The type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, whether it is indolent or aggressive, and what stage it is at
* Whether the lymphoma has only recently been diagnosed and is being treated for the first time, or whether it has relapsed after a remission, following earlier treatment
* What symptoms the patient has as a result of the lymphoma
* The patient's age and any other medical problems they may have

Some chemotherapy programmes involve just one drug, others involve a combination of drugs that are given together.

Often, the treatment is given in cycles - for example, 1 week of treatment followed by 3 weeks off, then another week of treatment, and so on. A full course of chemotherapy typically takes several months.

One of the chemotherapy drugs most commonly given is chlorambucil, which is taken as tablets by mouth. This is not usually used in combination with other chemotherapy drugs. Although each lymphoma unit or clinic will have its own schedule, chlorambucil is often given in cycles, with 2 weeks of treatment followed by 2 weeks off, then 2 weeks of treatment, and so on.

Combinations of chemotherapy drugs are often known by the initials of the drugs. Two of the most common combinations are 'CHOP' and 'CVP', which is often called 'COP'. 'CHOP' is a combination of three chemotherapy medications plus prednisolone, and stands for:

* Cyclophosphamide
* Hydroxydaunorubicin (also sometimes known as adriamycin or doxorubicin)
* Oncovin (a brand name for vincristine)
* Prednisolone

CVP', or 'COP', involves just cyclophosphamide, vincristine (Oncovin) and prednisolone.

People whose symptoms are severe may also be treated with steroids, usually prednisolone, to help to bring the symptoms under control quickly. This can be very effective in the short term, but it is not a long-term treatment. Prednisolone and the other corticosteroids are completely different from the steroids that are banned in sport.