“I was offered either palliative care or the chance to take part in a clinical trial"

Yaiza was just 23 years old when she had to make the most difficult decision of her life. After conventional treatments had failed, her doctors gave her two options: start palliative care or take part in a clinical trial at Hospital Clínic Barcelona.

“They explained that I could receive palliative care to support me as I reached the end of my life, or I could choose an experimental treatment. Very little was known about the treatment at the time. There were only eight of us taking part in the trial,” Yaiza recalls. Although she was extremely weak and had little hope left, she decided to take part.

What is lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. When these cells grow out of control, they accumulate primarily in the lymph nodes, although they can also spread to other organs.

“We still don’t know exactly what causes blood cancers. Unlike some other types of cancer, lymphoma is not hereditary, and it is much less common,” explains Dr Carme Martínez, Haematologist at Hospital Clínic Barcelona. 

One of the challenges of lymphoma is that it is not a single disease, but a group of different conditions, each with its own characteristics, patterns of progression and treatment options. Some forms are highly aggressive and need to be treated straight away, while others progress much more slowly and may not require treatment at diagnosis.

How is lymphoma treated? 

Treatment for lymphoma depends on both the type of lymphoma and the individual patient. In most cases, treatment consists of chemotherapy, often combined with monoclonal antibodies and, in some cases, radiotherapy. If these treatments are unsuccessful or the lymphoma comes back, other treatment options may be considered, including participation in a clinical trial or a bone marrow transplant.

Clinical trials make it possible to develop and evaluate new treatments under strict safety standards. For some patients, they can provide early access to innovative therapies before they become part of standard care.

What is remission? 

Remission means that the cancer has responded to treatment and has either shrunk significantly or can no longer be detected. For some patients, this response is consolidated with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, which can reduce the risk of relapse in certain types of lymphoma.

"Then I received news I never thought I'd hear. They told me I had to leave the clinical trial because I was in partial remission. I’d even forgotten what the word ‘remission’ meant,” says Yaiza.

Her excellent response to treatment meant she became eligible for allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplant, performed to consolidate the response to treatment and reduce the risk of relapse. In Yaiza’s case, the donor was her brother, who was a haploidentical sibling donor (a 50% match). The transplant reinforced her response to treatment, and her lymphoma has remained in remission ever since.

Research is opening up new possibilities 

Yaiza is still in remission today and shares her experience to inspire hope in others affected by lymphoma.

Her story highlights the vital role of clinical research in developing new treatments. It also shows how clinical trials pave the way for innovative treatments that can eventually become part of standard care for many more patients.