Watch and Wait
For many years, chemotherapy was the standard treatment for NHL, and doctors often recommended "watching and waiting" until symptoms appeared or the disease progressed to the point that treatment was necessary. For some, it is difficult to do nothing knowing that cancer is growing inside. For others, prolonging treatment is easier.
If you fall into the first category and your doctor is recommending watching and waiting, I suggest getting a second opinion or even a third. NHL is a complicated disease, and treatment is as much an art as a science. Some doctors will take a more conservative approach and others a more aggressive one. It's important to determine your own needs, set your own goals, and find a doctor who will help you meet them to the best of his or her ability.
Knowing when to begin treatment - and which treatment you begin - depends on a variety of factors that you and your doctor should discuss, and you should always let your doctor know how you feel about watching and waiting. With newer treatments available, and more of them, you may have other options, including participating in a clinical trial.
Betsy