Radioimmunotherapy

From The DVD - "Your Journey Of Lymphoma Treatments"

Related video: Chapter 11 - What Is Radio Immunotherapy?

Radioimmunotherapy machine

Radioimmunotherapy uses both radiation therapy and monoclonal antibody therapy to fight lymphoma. A radioactive molecule (a molecule that emits radiation and is capable of killing cancer cells) is attached to a monoclonal antibody so that the radiation is delivered specifically to lymphoma cells (see the previous section on Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for a more detailed explanation of how this works). Once attached, the radiation kills the cancerous B-cell as well as any other lymphoma cells that are nearby. This form of treatment requires highly specialised facilities and is available in only a few hospitals in Australia.