Finding Zevalin at a treatment site near you

Although it was approved by the FDA back in 2002, some confusion and uncertainty seems to surround Zevalin, the radioimmunotherapy treatment regimen for relapsed or refractory, low-grade follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (It is now also FDA-approved for patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma who achieve a partial or complete response to first-line chemotherapy).

I see the confusion at SupportGroups.com; it seems that Zevalin is regarded as just exotic enough to stir up that confusion. People do assume—not incorrectly by the way—that you can't simply walk into your local cancer treatment center and expect it to be available.

Part of the nine-day Zevalin therapeutic regimen is administered by health care professionals with specialized training in an area of health care known as nuclear medicine. Why? Because Zevalin works by attaching to the active chemotherapuetic agent a radioactive isotope for delivery to certain cells in the body (you can check out my closer look at Zevalin or read about it at the National Cancer Institute).

Additionally, patients receiving Zevalin enjoy the full attention of an administering staff that often includes a hematology oncologist and a radiation oncologist, and they are closely monitored throughout the entire regimen.