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Follicular lymphoma

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Current status: Treatable, not yet curable

A very slow-growing cancer of B cells, a kind of white blood cell, and the most common slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.1 The most common sign is a painless lump in the neck, armpit or groin.2 Treatment usually cannot clear it but can control it for many years, and some people need none at first.3 Most people are 50 or older when they find out, and it can sometimes turn into a fast-growing lymphoma.1

Read more about Follicular lymphoma
Where research stands todayUpdated 12 Nov 2026
Trial-stage treatments you can join–open now
in United StatesStudies published in the last 12 months2721 in people · 5 in animals · 1 in the labSupport organisations9organisations
in United States2 helplines
Offer tissue or dataGive a sample or your health data to research.Treatments outside United StatesWhere it is offered, and who pays.“Miracle cure” fact checkerSaw a cure online? Check it before you pay.

Trial-stage treatments and research studies you can join

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Where treatment stands

For most people with advanced follicular lymphoma there is no cure yet, but treatment can keep this slow-growing cancer under control for many years.

Where research stands now

On 11 November 2026, 200 trials of follicular lymphoma were open, testing 299 treatments in people. Of these treatments, 57 were in phase 3, the last trials before approval. From November 2025 to November 2026, articles reported 21 treatment studies in people, 5 in animals and 1 in the lab. In November 2026, 10 medicines were approved in the US and 11 in the EU; odronextamab was first approved in the EU in 2024. Health pages say it usually cannot be cured at an advanced stage, but treatment can control it for many years.

We found 16 medicines approved for follicular lymphoma in the EU, the US, Switzerland or France.

Approved: 16

Officially approved for this disease in the EU, the US, Switzerland or France.

Where this comes from

The EU medicines agency (EMA) and its list of medicines in the EU, US prescribing labels (DailyMed, openFDA), the Swiss medicines register (Swissmedic), the French medicines database (ANSM) and the Health Canada drug database, checked on 11 November 2026. Every medicine links to its own official text.

A computer made this list from the official texts: it kept only medicines whose own approval text names the disease, wrote "Who it is for" from that text and checked it against the text a second time. People have not reviewed it yet.

Not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you change any treatment.

Support organisations

Patient organisations and helplines in United States, for you and your family.

Follicular lymphoma organisations in United States

  • National Cancer Institute – Cancer Information Service (CIS)

    NCI's contact center: information specialists answer cancer questions from patients, families and the public by phone, chat and email.

    cancer.gov
  • American Cancer Society

    Nationwide US nonprofit helping people who face cancer: research, patient services, early detection, treatment information and education, with a cancer helpline on its site.

    cancer.org
  • Cactus Cancer Society

    Young adult cancer resource and community: support programs for people diagnosed with cancer as young adults.

    cactuscancer.org
  • Cancer Hope Network

    Nonprofit providing free one-on-one support to cancer patients and families by matching them with trained volunteers who have had a similar experience.

    cancerhopenetwork.org
  • Cancer Nation

    Survivor-led US cancer advocacy organization (formerly the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship) working on quality cancer care and survivorship resources.

    canceradvocacy.org
  • Imerman Angels

    Nonprofit offering free one-on-one cancer support and personalized mentoring that connects cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers with someone who has been there.

    imermanangels.org
  • Triage Cancer

    National nonprofit providing free education on legal and practical issues (insurance, employment, finances) for people with cancer and caregivers.

    triagecancer.org

General support in United States

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    US national 24/7 free and confidential lifeline for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, reachable by calling or texting 988 or by chat.

    988lifeline.org
  • MedlinePlus

    Free, easy-to-read health information service of the US National Library of Medicine (NIH) on diseases, conditions, drugs and wellness.

    medlineplus.gov

International organisations

Patient organisation umbrella bodies

Offer tissue or data

There are three ways to help research move faster.

Give tissue or bloodA biobank stores your sample so many research teams can use it.No open programme yet
Share your health dataA patient registry collects your health data, without your name, for research.How to join
Take part as a healthy volunteerStudies also need people without the disease, for comparison. Family and friends can help.Volunteer

Treatments approved outside the EU

We found no medicine for Follicular lymphoma approved in the US or Japan that is not approved in the EU. These are the ones approved in the EU.

Checked on 11 Nov 2026 in the official lists of the US (FDA), Japan (PMDA, approvals since April 2004) and the EU (EMA). 4 uncertain matches are left out.

Check with your insurance

Your health insurer may pay part of the cost, sometimes all of it. This depends on your insurer, your plan and the country, so always ask your insurer before you go. For planned care in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, ask about form S2.

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About Follicular lymphoma

A very slow-growing cancer of B cells, a kind of white blood cell, and the most common slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.1 The most common sign is a painless lump in the neck, armpit or groin.2 Treatment usually cannot clear it but can control it for many years, and some people need none at first.3 Most people are 50 or older when they find out, and it can sometimes turn into a fast-growing lymphoma.1

What is it?

Follicular lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of lymphocytes.1,4 Lymphocytes are white blood cells that help fight infection and travel round the body in lymph vessels and glands (lymph nodes).4 Follicular lymphoma starts in B lymphocytes and grows very slowly.1 It is the most common of the slow-growing (low-grade) lymphomas.1,4

Most people are 50 or older when they find out.1 Being male or White, and having a weakened immune system, may increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.1

The first signs

The most common sign is a lump that does not hurt.2

  • a painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin;2
  • a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery;2
  • heavy night sweats;1,2
  • losing weight without trying, and feeling very tired;1,2
  • itchy skin or shortness of breath.2

Some of these signs are common and can be caused by many different conditions.2

How doctors find out

Your family doctor asks about your symptoms, feels for lumps in your neck, armpits and groin, and may do a blood test.2 A hospital specialist then takes a sample of an affected lymph node (a biopsy), by removing part or all of it or with a thin needle. You will usually have a local or general anaesthetic.5 Results should come within 2 weeks.5 You may need more tests, such as blood tests, scans and a biopsy of the bone marrow. They show how far the cancer has spread, and you will be told the type of lymphoma and whether it is slow-growing or fast-growing.5

Current treatment

Early follicular lymphoma may be watched or treated with radiotherapy, or an antibody medicine with or without chemotherapy; advanced disease that needs treatment may get rituximab or obinutuzumab, with or without chemotherapy.Source: NCI PDQ

Will it get worse?

Usually slowly.1 Treatment does not usually get rid of slow-growing lymphoma, but it can keep it under control for many years.3 If you have no symptoms, you may not need treatment at first: this is called watch and wait, and you have regular check-ups instead.3 Follicular lymphoma can even go away for a while without treatment, but it usually needs treatment when signs come back.1 Sometimes it turns into a fast-growing lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma).1

Medicines: what helps, and what to watch for

When treatment is needed, options include antibody medicines (monoclonal antibody therapy) such as rituximab or obinutuzumab.1 They may be given with or without chemotherapy, and rituximab may also be given together with lenalidomide.1 After the first treatment you may have maintenance therapy with rituximab, a treatment given afterwards to help keep the cancer from coming back.1 If it comes back, treatment may include an antibody medicine (rituximab or obinutuzumab) with or without chemotherapy, chemotherapy with one or more drugs, or radiolabeled antibody therapy.1

Good to know:

  • Your specialist team explains the side effects of each treatment and helps you manage them;3
  • Treatment can sometimes cause late effects that start after treatment and last for months or years, such as heart problems, loss of bone density, nerve damage or a second cancer. Some check-up tests continue from time to time after treatment has ended.1

Radiotherapy or a transplant, for some people

Early-stage slow-growing lymphoma can be effectively treated with radiotherapy alone.6,1 Radiotherapy can also ease symptoms later.3,1 If the lymphoma comes back, you may have a stem cell transplant. High doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are given first, then damaged blood cells are replaced with healthy ones.3,1

Is there a cure?

Usually not when it is at an advanced stage, but treatment can keep it under control for many years.6,3 Clinical trials are testing new antibody medicines, new chemotherapy mixes and stem cell transplants for follicular lymphoma. Some trials only take people who have not had treatment yet.1

See the 201 trials you can join

Median survival

Typically 8 to 15 years, even when it has spreadSource: NCI PDQ, 2025

Measured in: People with follicular lymphoma, even in advanced stages

The figures behind it

NCI PDQ (health professional version), adult NHL, Prognosis: follicular lymphoma is called indolent because median survival ranges from 8 to 15 years, even in advanced stages; the same page says indolent NHL has a median survival as long as 20 years, and that median overall survival is 5 years after later transformation to a more aggressive type.

Sources

Written in plain words by Frontlight from these pages:

  1. NCI PDQ: Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Patient Version
  2. NHS: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – Symptoms
  3. NHS: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – Treatment
  4. NHS: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
  5. NHS: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – Tests and next steps
  6. NCI PDQ: Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Health Professional Version