Remembering Stylish First Lady Jackie Kennedy, Who Passed Away 27 Years Ago From Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

In November 1993, Kennedy’s doctors discovered she had a swollen lymph node in her groin area after she was thrown from a horse she was riding during a fox hunt. Initially her doctors diagnosed it as an infection, but two months later in January Kennedy started developing more symptoms representative of a more serious illness. In addition to the swollen lymph node in her groin, she also developed a swollen lymph node in her neck and an extremely severe stomach ache. After further examination she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a type of blood cancer).

Related: Remembering Senator Ted Kennedy, Who Loved Summer And The Sea The Brain Cancer That Took His Life Now Has New Treatment Options

Kennedy immediately started chemotherapy treatment, and shared with the public that her prognosis was promising. However, by March the disease had spread to her spinal cord, brain and liver and Kennedy was declared terminal. She passed away on May 19 1994 at 64-years-old.

What is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that is broken up into two separate categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The main difference between the two is that Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have. So, if these cells are not present then that points to non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common, and people are more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55. The disease is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. This was the case for Kennedy, who had swollen lymph nodes in her groin and neck at the beginning.

Related: The Grades of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

What makes this cancer even more complex is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma has two subtypes: B-cell or T-cell lymphoma (two infection fighting cells). About 85% of people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma will have B-cell lymphoma. These cells produce antibodies proteins that react to foreign substances like viruses or bacteria in your body. The antibodies attach to another protein on the surface of the invading cells, called an antigen, to target and destroy them.

Dr. Elise Chong breaks down the different categories of lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Chemotherapy

When it comes to treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a lot of the options depend on whether you have B-cell or T-cell lymphoma. However, no matter your subgroup, there are different types of treatments to consider when facing this diagnosis.  Chemotherapy treatment has come a long way in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma thanks to a chemotherapy cocktail that is helping people tremendously.

R-CHOP

Chemotherapy is an extremely important step in the treatment process for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but new discoveries have made this treatment even more effective. One of the most effective regimens available for aggressive B-cell lymphoma in non-Hodgkin is a drug combination called R-CHOP. This is a combination of chemotherapy drugs, which aims to destroy the target tumor DNA while simultaneously reducing inflammation.

The R stands for rituximab (Rituxan). It's a type of antibody therapy. Antibodies are special proteins that seek out cancer cells in your body. Rituxan targets a protein called CD20 on the surface of cancerous white blood cells called B-cells. Once it attaches to CD20, this drug alerts your immune system to go after the cancer, or it destroys the cancer itself. The CHO in CHOP stands for three chemotherapy drugs cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin hydrochloride (H), and vincristine (Oncovin O). The final drug is the steroid, prednisone, which helps to bring down inflammation throughout your body.

Related: Fever and Other Side Effects to Watch for After R-CHOP Treatment

Of course, like any treatment, R-CHOP does come with its own side-effects. These can include weight loss, nausea, hair loss, fatigue and increased risk of infection.

Dr. Adrienne Phillips breaks down how R-CHOP works

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