Our 24/7 cancer helpline provides information and answers for people dealing with cancer. We can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear.
Chat live online
Select the Live Chat button at the bottom of the page
Our highly trained specialists are available 24/7 via phone and on weekdays can assist through online chat. We connect patients, caregivers, and family members with essential services and resources at every step of their cancer journey. Ask us how you can get involved and support the fight against cancer. Some of the topics we can assist with include:
Referrals to patient-related programs or resources
Donations, website, or event-related assistance
Tobacco-related topics
Volunteer opportunities
Cancer Information
For medical questions, we encourage you to review our information with your doctor.
showDesktop,showTablet,showMobile
Donate today to support our lifesaving efforts.
Your gift enables us to support people with cancer and fund research breakthroughs.
It is important to have open, honest discussions with your child’s cancer care team. Ask any question, no matter how minor it might seem. For instance, consider asking these questions:
When you're told your child has non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Will treatment affect my child’s ability to learn, grow, and develop?
What are the chances of curing the lymphoma?
What will our options be if the treatment doesn’t work or if the lymphoma comes back?
You should also talk with your child’s doctor before treatment to find out about the possible long-term side effects. For example, you might want to ask about how treatment could affect your child’s fertility later on. Here are some questions you might want to ask about the risks of infertility with treatment:
Can anything be done to prevent or lower the risk of infertility? Would this interfere with my child’s cancer treatment?
Should we talk to a fertility specialist?
Once my child finishes treatment, how will we know if they might have fertility problems?
During treatment
Once treatment begins, you’ll need to know what to expect and what to look for. Not all of these questions may apply, but getting answers to the ones that do could be helpful.
What symptoms or side effects should we tell you about right away?
How can we reach you or someone on your team on nights, weekends, or holidays?
Are there any limits on what my child can do during treatment?
After treatment
What type of follow-up will my child need after treatment?
Are there any limits on what they can do after treatment?
What symptoms should we watch for?
How will we know if the lymphoma has come back? What will our options be if that happens?
Do you know of any local or online support groups where we can talk to other families who are coping with childhood lymphoma?
Along with these examples, be sure to ask any other questions you might have. For instance, you might want more information about recovery times so that you can plan work and school schedules. Or you might want to know more about clinical trials.
Keep in mind that doctors aren’t the only ones who can give you information. Other health care professionals, such as nurses and social workers, can answer some of your questions. To find out more about communicating with your health care team, see The Doctor-Patient Relationship.
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Last Revised: August 10, 2021
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
American Cancer Society Emails
Sign up to stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the American Cancer Society.