A 36-year-old father of two noticed enlarged lymph glands under his arm. A biopsy confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a beta-cell lymphoma. He was reassured that a new way of using MabThera has been approved by NICE. Will this improve his chances of trouble-free remissions? Is it hereditary? Will he live to see his children grow up?

MabThera is free of severe side-effects. It is a monoclonal antibody that attacks the tumour cells and leaves the rest relatively unscathed. There is no evidence that non-Hodgkin's is hereditary. It is difficult to give a firm indication to prognosis as this varies, depending on the distribution of the disease when diagnosed and the cellular type. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma encompasses a group of malignant diseases that affect the lymphatic cells in the spleen, liver, bone marrow, guts and lymph glands.

MabThera has revolutionised the treatment of beta-cell lymphomas. It is combined during initial treatment with other chemotherapeutic drugs. NICE has approved maintenance treatment of the lymphoma after total response to initial treatment. Further maintenance courses of MabThera are given every three months. With this regimen average time before a relapse grows from 14.9 months to 51.5 months. If it's one of the aggressive lymphomas he has more than a 50 per cent chance of being alive in seven years. Total remissions of more than five years have been considered to be a cure.

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