Lymphoma Cancer Treatments – Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Growth Factors for Lymphoma
Last Updated: 05/20/2008
Cancer Treatment Centers of America

One way the cancer specialists at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) use the body’s immune system to fight lymphoma is by using Hematopoietic Growth Factors (HGFs). Hematopoietic growth factors are a group of hormone-like substances (proteins) that occur naturally in the body and can be used to encourage an improved immune system response against cancerous lymphoma cells.

The word “hematopoietic” means pertaining to, or affecting, the growth of blood cells. The hematopoietic system consists of the tissues involved in the production of blood, including bone marrow and lymph nodes. Hematopoietic growth factors help promote blood cell growth and bone marrow proliferation.

Some examples of hematopoietic growth factors include erythropoietin, interleukin-3, and colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). Erythropoietin stimulates production of erythrocytes, or red blood cells. Interleukin-3 and CSFs can mature cells, have overlapping capabilities to affect progenitor cells (“parent” cells that will develop into a specific type of cell) of several blood cell lines, cause blood cells to mature, and also affect cells outside the hematopoietic system.

CTCA cancer experts may recommend hematopoietic growth factors to help promote bone marrow proliferation in lymphoma patients affected by aplastic anemia. Our cancer doctors may also use HGFs following cytotoxic chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.

In addition, chemotherapy drugs can damage the body’s ability to make white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Hematopoietic growth factors stimulate blood cell production and enable our cancer doctors to increase the doses of anticancer drugs without increasing the risk of infection or the need for transfusion with blood products.

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