What is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is simply defined as a type of cancer in the lymph system. British physician Thomas Hodgkin was the first to publish initial descriptions of the condition in 1832. Thus, the specific type of lymphoma he described (Hodgkins lymphoma) was appropriately named after him. After his initial description, many other studies looked at several other forms or types of the cancerous disease.
A cancer appears when several of our bodies cells begin behaving abnormally. The body is comprised of various kinds of cells found in different organs like the nerves of blood. At times, normal cells cease getting usual biological signals that make them stop growing. When that happens, the cells abnormally continue to multiply and grow. This is the formation of cancer cells. When the cancer cells grow, the affected organ stops working normally. Several of the cancer cells also start to break off from the original site, spreading into many other body parts and affecting many other organs.
The lymph system comprises an interconnected network with thin nodes and tubes carrying white blood cells. Such cells are responsible for fighting off infections. This way, they are vitally significant to the bodys overall well-being. When a lymphocyte (a specific kind of white blood cell) in the lymph system starts to become cancerous, it would tend to multiply and grow leading to formation of lymphoma.
Which part of the body is usually affected by lymphoma? The cancer could affect any part of the lymph system. Usually, patients initially notice abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes, specifically in the areas of the groin, the neck, and the armpits. However, lymphoma could also manifest in several other organs of the body. This is because minimal amounts of lymph tissue pass into practically every organ in the body as white blood cells reach out to different areas to perform control of infections.
This type of cancer is currently the most usual form of blood cancer or hematological malignancy especially in the developed countries. Lymphoma comprises about 5.3% of overall forms of cancers in the United States alone. It comprises of up to 55.6% of blood cancers diagnosed. According to data released by the US National Institute of Health, Hodgkins lymphoma is accounting for about 1% of total cases of cancer across the country. Patients with HIV infection and exposure to certain medications and drugs have higher incidences of lymphoma for obvious reasons.
Many forms of lymphoma are indolent (occurring lifelong even without medication or treatment) or aggressive (causing fast deterioration of health and eventually death). However, most incidences of aggressive lymphomas are responding ideally to treatment. In other words, they are curable. This condition is not a single type of cancer because it comprises of a group of several related forms of cancers. There are about 30 various types of identified lymphoma. In a broad sense, lymphoma could be categorized as either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Of course, each type has its own features and manifestations and results to different outcomes in the long term.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Vital Symptoms of Lymphoma
The symptoms of lymphoma are very common in many other sicknesses, which is why you really have to be vigilant about your condition and consult a doctor whenever you feel like there is something wrong. It may actually take some time before you realize that you have this kind of sickness because during the first few days or weeks, you may not even feel that something has changed. If in doubt, do not hesitate and set an appointment with your doctor before you conclude anything and start looking for treatments.
These are the usual signs and symptoms of this kind of illness. Make sure that you dont easily panic once you perceive that you have two or more of these, because as stated above, most of these are also common in other kinds of disorders.
1. Losing weight rapidly. This can happen after some months and you will be surprised to lose about 15 pounds in a couple of months without doing anything. You will easily notice such change if you already have a modest weight and you are not limiting your food intake neither you are exercising regularly. This will be harder to determine and conclude that it is already a symptom to a sickness if you are really trying to lose weight.
In many cases, the weight loss occurs after you have lost appetite. This stage transpires when the illness has already grown and start spreading in your body. When you are starting to lose more than 10% of your ideal weight, you should be very concerned as to what is causing such and make sure that before your weight drop even lower, you have already sought the doctors help.
2. The most common and usually the first symptoms that you will encounter if you have this are lumps in the groin area, armpits and neck. These enlarged lymph nodes are painless and you may never notice these if you will not inspect your body thoroughly. These enlarged nodes cause the other signs that are included in this list, but these nodes can also be present if you have other kinds of illnesses.
3. When the nodes start to swell, you will experience fever that may last for some time. For example, for people who got what is called Hodgkin type of this illness, they will suffer from a fever that is referred to as Pel-Ebstein.
4. The cells that are infected with the disease secrete special chemicals that cause itchiness that will affect your whole body.
5. Some people experience excessive sweating at night. They usually get up with their bodies drenched in sweat without any specific reasons. This happens even when they are in a very comfortable situation and they really cant find any reason to sweat a lot.
There are other unusual symptoms that can be felt by people who are suffering from lymphoma, depending on where the sickness occurred. This can actually take place in any organ of the body and as the cancer cells grow bigger, the person who has this will feel weaker because the infected areas use more of the nutrients inside the body.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Usual Symptoms of Lymphoma
A type of cancer known as lymphoma could occur innocuously, usually in a harmless way that it often takes a long time before a person takes notice of evident symptoms. You should learn about the most common symptoms of the disease. Take note that most of such signs could commonly occur that they could appear even if you are not suffering from lymphoma. There is indeed no need to panic when these symptoms are observed. The best thing to do is to immediately consult the doctor so that all your doubts and fears could be properly addressed.
Painless lumps in the groin, armpits, or neck
This is the most usual symptom. In many cases this is the only manifestation of lymphoma. The lumps are actually enlarged lymph nodes. Such lumps could be noticed or felt while you are changing or bathing. Your partner could also call your attention because of such lumps. This top symptom must come with the following other symptoms to feed your suspicion that you may be suffering from this type of cancer.
Abrupt weight loss
Weight loss that occurs rapidly and for no apparent reason could be suspicious. If you are not into any weight loss program and you significantly shed off pounds (about 10 lbs to 15 lbs in just several months), you should inspect your body and find out if there are lumps in the neck, groin, or armpits. If there are, immediately subject yourself to medical tests.
Continuous fever
Immediately seek medical attention if a fever occurs continuously and intermittently for a certain period of time. If there is no occurrence of urinary or chest infection and there are lumps in specific areas in the body, consult a doctor at once. Fever related to swellings of the nodes is commonly infectious. Many forms of lymphoma are usually mistaken as mere infections during the early stage of cancer. Pel-Ebstein fever (very high fever going on and off for seven to 10 days) is a top manifestation of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Excessive sweating especially at night
This situation is quite bothersome. It is uncomfortable. Often, you may wake up in the middle of the night while being drenched in too much sweat. When there is no apparent reason for this sweating episode and other symptoms of the cancer are evident, you should be alarmed.
Loss of appetite and itchiness all over the body
You would experience an unexplained and considerable loss of appetite if the lymphoma has spread across other parts of the body. This leads to weight loss, which is discussed earlier. If you detect a 10% weight loss or more, be immediately concerned as the symptom could already be a poor prognostic factor of the cancer. At the same time, there could be abnormal itchiness all over the body as lymphoma cells secrete special chemicals due to the condition.
Overall feeling of weakness
Lastly, lymphoma comes with an overall feeling of weakness. As cancer cells continue growing, they inevitably make use of most of the nutrients in the body. This occurrence makes you logically feel weaker.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Understanding Lymphoma
Through the years lymphoma, which is the cancer of the lymph system, has been one of the diseases that many people die of. This can be attributed to the fact many people suffer from it but remain undiagnosed until the cancer has reached it critical stage.
As defined, cancer refers to a condition wherein several the cells in a person’s own body behave in a very abnormal manner. What makes diseases caused by cancer cells hard to treat is that the cells multiply and affects how the specific organ works. In the case of lymphoma, the organ that is greatly affected is the lymph system which will eventually disable it.
How the disease develops
Lymphoma is the type of cancer that usually targets all or specific parts of the lymph system. This is composed of network thin tubes and nodes that are interconnected and makes possible for the white blood cells to be carried.
Experts say that these cells play a very important role in any individual’s well being because it is responsible for fighting infections in the body. When a “lymphocyte” which refers to a type of white blood cell that composes a part of the lymph system has cancer cells, this cancerous cell is expected to grow in number. Once it has multiplied, this results to what we call “lymphoma.”
Experts say that lymphoma does not only refer to a “single cancer” but it’s also synonymous to a group of many cancers that are connected. Currently, there are over 25 types of lymphoma but are categorized into twothe Hodgkin Disease and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Both may have the similar symptoms, thus, same sets of tests and diagnoses could be done. However, the differences in these two types are evident depending on the way the body of the person affected reacts.
Aside from Hodgkin Disease and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, other types of lymphoma include the “Mantle Cell Lymphoma,” “Malt Lymphoma,” “Cutaneous (Skin) Lymphoma,” “Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma,” “Burkitt Lymphoma,” and the “primary CNS Lymphoma,” among others.
When to know when you have lymphoma
The most common warning sign for this type of cancer is the unusual enlargement of the lymph nodes. This will be the most noticeable sign since this is placed in the groin, neck or armpits. Since lymphoma is caused by the cancer cells, it can also occur in other organs in the body as well. Experts say that lymphoma can grow in other organs of the body when lymph tissues pass through other organs carried out by the white blood cells.
Indeed, health is wealth. This is why this should be one of the most important things that people should pay attention to. If you are one of those who feel that are at risk for lymphoma, some of the signs to watch out for aside from painless lumps in the neck, armpits or groin would include drastic weight loss, fever, excessive sweating especially at night time, itchiness that can be felt all over the body, the loss of appetite, exhaustion or a feeling of weakness all throughout the day, and breathlessness combined with swollen neck and face.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Treatment for Lymphoma
It is logically difficult for someone who has just been diagnosed with lymphoma to truly understand the various treatment options available. It is a common knowledge that there are about 30 different kinds of lymphoma. Thus, there could be numerous treatment options available. A single type of the disease could call for a specific treatment option.
Medical supervision is absolutely a must following detection of lymphoma symptoms. You need to first ascertain how serious the condition is. Lymphoma, once detected, should be immediately and accordingly treated. Remember to take medical treatment as per your doctors advice. There are many options available, as mentioned, but there are several that usually stand out. There are four major types of lymphoma treatment available, namely, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell or bone marrow transplant, and antibody therapy.
Chemotherapy involves the administration or application of drugs as infusions into the veins of the patients. Chemotherapy could also be taken in the form of oral pills. The most common types of chemotherapy for lymphoma are R-CHOP, CHOP, and ABVD. On the other hand, radiotherapy uses high-energy light rays that are specially and strategically directed at the cancer cells targeted. This form of therapy could be delivered even over small body areas as in involved field radiation or over large areas as in extended field radiation.
Stem cell or bone marrow transplant uses high dosage of radiation or chemotherapy to specifically kill targeted cancer cells. The bone marrow is saved during the process through transplantation of a new one or through transplantation of stem cells. Lastly, antibody therapy, also known as biological therapy, uses specific drugs to target special molecules across the cancer cells surfaces.
Hodgkins lymphoma is often treated using radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The treatment options are usually based on the current stage of lymphoma and on several prognostic factors. Chemotherapy is more used in all patients regardless of stage. Radiation may be used only during the early stages of the condition.
There are almost 25 various kinds of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). Several of them behave differently compared to others. Treatment used depends on the specific type as well as observable behavior of the NHL. Chemotherapy is the most popular. Antibody therapy and/or radiation therapy may only be added to complement chemotherapy for additional benefits.
Home remedies could also be tried to cure this disease, especially after early detection. Such remedies should only be considered as secondary only to medical treatments against lymphoma. The best natural remedy is to strategically detoxify your body. To do so, you have to drink lots of water and fruit juices. Avoid intake of alcohol and caffeine. There are foods that enhance the detoxification process like carrots, beets, mushrooms, and broccoli. During the process strictly avoid consumption of sugars, saturated fats, and refined foods.
Fruits and vegetables could be best as natural treatments against lymphoma. These include pears, apples, parsley, and lettuce. These foods detoxify the body as well and at the same time aid quick cleansing of your bodys lymphatic system. Chinese herbs like codonopsis and ginseng could also be tried.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Treating Lymphoma: The Various Procedures
Cancer is a word that most of us dread to hear from our doctors. We know that its something that should not be taken lightly, plus we cant even count how many times we have seen in the movies and television about the difficulties of the disease and more often than not the sad ending that follows. So hearing you have cancer of the lymph cells, which what lymphoma really is, is more than enough to give you and your family a scare. Treating lymphoma is never easy both physically and mentally for the patient. Having the full support of the family is a good thing to have in situations like these.
Lymphoma develops when the lymph cells begin to multiply quickly beyond what is normal. This abnormal growth soon forms tumors. These lymph cells are found in blood and lymph nodes thus with the grown of the cancer cells it is only natural that the lymph nodes enlarge and manifests as painless lumps in the neck, armpits or groin.
There are two main types of lymphoma. The most common one is the Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This type is distinguished from the rest by the presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell. The spread of the cancer cells in Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more predictable and often quite limited unlike the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas where cancer cells develop first in other organs before spreading into the lymph nodes. The non-Hodgkins types of lymphomas are classified according low-grade, intermediate-grade or high-grade lymphomas which basically is based on how quickly the cancer cells spread.
Because of the number of types of lymphomas, the treatments vary. Often the treatments are combinations of various therapies and procedures. It is normal to have a number of treatments for a single lymphoma case. Once the type of lymphoma has been diagnosed and identified, the next step is to determine what stage it is in now. The kinds and extent of treatment of the cancer is dependent on the age of the patient and the degree or stage of the lymphoma. The treatment methods are either through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, antibody therapy (or biological therapy) and bone-marrow or stem cell transplantation. Again, combining one or two of these treatment methods is possible to address the present condition of a patient.
Chemotherapy uses various drugs to kill the tumor or cancer cells. The drugs can be taken orally or through injection. The advantage of using chemotherapy is that the drugs do not cause that much damage to the nearby normal and healthy cells. Radiotherapy, on the other hand, uses X-rays to kill the tumor cells. The rays damage the DNA of the cancer cells and because the DNA is damaged the cancer cells are unable to multiply which halts that growth of the cancer. Nearby healthy cells are damaged from the radiation bombardment so the goal in radiotherapy is minimize the damage to nearby, healthy cells. That is why those who undergo radiotherapy is scheduled to receive small doses of radiation at a time to lessen the damage to the cells.
Another treatment is the antibody therapy which uses antibodies which target unique molecules of a cancer cell. This attack from the antibody will eventually kill the cancer cells. And finally, the last way of treating lymphoma is by bone marrow or stem cell transplantations. These are medical procedures where the stem cells that were destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are replaced through surgery.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
The Various Stages and Common Symptoms of Lymphoma
The cancer that is known as lymphoma can be clearly understood through the staging process. This refers to how the sickness is categorized based on how big it is and what parts of the body has already been affected or healed. The worse the outcome seems to be, the higher the stage of the disease could be. There are four parts or stages that the disease will be grouped into and this can only be done after the patient has undergone through series of tests and scans to rule out the body affected organs and body parts.
To give you an idea about the various stages that this illness is categorized, here are the basic points about each phase.
Stage one. At this stage, the illness has only been determined to be present at a group of lymph nodes. There are also cases wherein the illness was found in one organ, which is not part of the lymph system, but this kind of case is quite rare.
Stage two. The cancer is now seen in two or even more groups of the lymph nodes that can be found on the similar side as with the diaphragm, which is a lean kind of muscle that is located under the lungs. The diaphragm helps a person to breathe easily. This also separates the chest area from the abdomen.
Stage three. The cancer at this stage can be found at the groups of lymph nodes that are situated on both sides of the diaphragm. There are some cases wherein the adjacent organs are also involved. This also becomes part of stage III when a spleen is seen after the sickness has been detected.
Stage four. This is the terminal stage wherein the lung substance is already affected. This is also the phase when the bone marrow and liver are involved in the disease as well as the other organs that are far from the originally infected parts.
There are many other factors that can affect the results of the treatments that are done with people that are suffering from the disease, like the age of the patient and the size of the illness. If you are in the advanced stage of this sickness, you must not lose hope because there are many cases that have been healed eventually even after suffering from the higher stages.
From the early signs or when you are starting to feel like there is something wrong, do not hesitate and consult with a doctor. To help you find out if you have the symptoms that are related with the disease, here are some of the most common ones. The most common and also the most important symptoms are the lumps on your neck, groin and armpits. These are painless, which is why there are many people who disregard these easily and only start seeking help when other symptoms start to come up.
The other symptoms that you may feel once you have the enlarged lymph nodes include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, excessive sweating, especially at night and itchiness. You may also feel weak as the cancer cells of the lymphoma start spreading and grow bigger.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
The Types of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Lymphomas are cancers of the lymph system which ironically is part of the bodys defense mechanism to fight off infections and diseases. But sometimes the abnormal growth of the healthy lymphatic cells causes the tissues to mass up creating tumors and eventually becoming cancer cells. If left untreated, the cancer cells can easily break away from the tissues and begin infecting other parts of the lymphatic system and eventually moving to other organs of the body. There are essentially two kinds of lymphomas, the Hodgkins lymphoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Hodgkins lymphoma is characterized by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. Other lymphomas do not contain these cells so the rest of the lymphomas were classified as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or NHL. There are a number of sub-types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Each are quite distinct targeting specific age groups aside from having unique forms.
One kind of NHL is the lymphoblastic lymphoma or LBL which commonly occurs in children. In fact about 30% of documented cases of lymphomas in children have been classified as lymphoblastic lymphomas. LBL is very aggressive kind of NHL and has caused quite a number of deaths in the past. But because of modern medicine and treatment techniques, LBL patients have better odds of surviving the ordeal.
Unlike LBL, the diffuse histiocytic lymphoma type or DHL is a slow growing cancer. And because it is slow-growing the cancer is quite hard to detect. Also, there are times where the cancer reappears after treatment.
Another kind of NHL appears closer to the bodys surface. The cutaneous T-cell lymphoma or CTLC is a kind of lymphoma that affects the skin. What happens is that the white blood cells of the skin become cancerous. At first, the signs are dry, scaly skin with red or dark patches. These areas of the skin also itch a lot. But as the cancer cells continue to grow, the skin will develop highly noticeable tumors. Eventually the cancer cells enter the blood stream and spreads all over the body which soon infects other tissues and organs.
Although not common, the mantle cell lymphoma is another kind of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This cancer borders on being rare since only an estimated 5% of people diagnosed with NHL have it. It seems that the cancer is more likely to occur in men 50 years old and older. The cancer starts off as a slow growing lymphoma but can suddenly become aggressive in later stages.
Doctors have made 4 classifications or stages of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma which basically indicates how fast and how far the cancer cells have spread. Stage 1 is when the cancer cells are grouped in lymph node or organ of the body. In stage 2 the cancer has spread to two or more groups of lymph nodes or organs on the same side of your diaphragm. Stage 3 is where the cancer cells have infected organs on both sides of the diaphragm and finally stage 4 is when the different types of non-Hodgkins lymphoma have gone beyond the lymphatic system and infecting other organs like the liver, bones, and lungs.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
The Essence of PET Scans in Determining and Healing Lymphoma
The Essence of PET Scans in Determining and Healing Lymphoma
The malignant cells that cause lymphoma begin at the lymph nodes. Tumor develops when there is an enlargement of the node. The case is quite similar to lymphoid leukemia, but this only involves the bone marrow where the blood cells are produced through the haematopoesis process as well as the circulating blood.
The first description of this dreaded disease was first published in 1832. This was done by Thomas Hodgkin, thus the name of the Hodgkin type of this illness. There are many other forms that have been discovered since then and all these are now part of a large group of illnesses that are known as hematological neoplasms.
When you start feeling that you have the symptoms, especially the enlarged lymph nodes, you should seek the help of your doctor. This case may not always mean that you are sick, but to make sure that you are okay, you have to get yourself checked by a professional. The first step that doctors may require you to undergo is biopsy, the type of which will be dictated as to the organs that are infected with the disease. After it was established that you already have it, the doctors will then try to categorize from which type of this illness you are suffering from. Before you can be given proper treatment for your condition, your bone marrow needs to be tested and you have to go through various tests and scans.
PET Scans
One of the special kinds of scans that you may be asked to undergo is PET scan or Positron Emission Tomography. This is able to determine the cancers based on the high activity that is happening on the cancer cell.
Other types of scans provide different results. For example, MR type and CT scans present good quality photographs of the various body parts where you can view the masses of tumors and swollen nodes. The problem with these scans is the fact that doctors cannot based their findings whether a person has the illness based on the size and shape of what was photographed through these processes. This is what PET scans are able to fill in the blanks.
PET scans are useful in the procedure because these are used to map out the disease on a person’s body. Along with the other kinds of tests, all results can be used to determine the stages of the disease. This is also able to find out if the lump that showed up on other tests, is cancerous or not. After the condition was settled, the doctor can then proceed to give the necessary treatment, whether you need to go through chemotherapy or it will be best to undergo radiation.
After some cycles of chemotherapy, you have to go through the same scans and it will help to assess how well your body is responding to it. When the treatment has been done, you still have to go through PET scans to know whether the lump still has cancer cells, scar tissue or it has already been healed.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Surviving Lymphoma
Sure, conditions such as lymphoma, the cancer in the lymph system, can be depressing. This is because you have to undergo painful treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiation in order to get better. Aside from that, you will have to spend money for hospitalization, continues medication and regular check ups.
All these are the common problems people with illnesses and their families have to deal with. It’s painful and stressful but then, there’s no gain when you sulk into self pity and depression. Those negative feelings will only make you feel bad instead of helping your recovery.
The way to recovery and healing
Experts say that the most common issues that people who are suffering from lymphoma deal with would include the side-effects of lymphoma treatment, the total cure and possible relapse as well as fertility issuesboth in men and womenafter cancer treatment is over or while it is still being administered.
These issues might be hard to deal with but experts suggest that these could be handled so much better if one tries to see the brighter side of the situation. If one is able to see the good after surviving the condition, then living with lymphoma would be so much easier.
If you are one of those who would want to get started on recovery of the soul and the body after a lymphoma treatment, the first thing that you need to set your mind into it. If your mindset is that you would want to get started on recovery and stick with it until you are successful, you will be inspired to aim for that goal. Setting your mind into something will help you look forward to the results of what you are aiming for. For people, who have just survived lymphoma, to have a proper mindset, he or she clear their minds from negative thoughts. Once a clear mind id achieve, that person would be more enthusiastic when it comes to recovery.
The next best thing is to start over again. This time, there should be no pressure in the recovery and this can be done if you would start accomplishing small and simple tasks. If you start, you would be able to recover fast enough without having constant worries of relapse hanging over your head.
Another thing that can help you pave the way for recovery and healing is when your get started learning new things. Patients who have just recovered from terminal illnesses such as lymphoma are encouraged to start anew so they would be able to face the life ahead of them. Patients are asked to spend some time in acquiring new skills that can help them achieve the goals they have set for themselves.
Experts agree that having the concept for recovery is a very important factor for people who are trying their best to live with lymphoma. Acceptance when it comes to the things that one and could not do will also help the faster recovery not only of the body but also of the mind and the soul.
This day in history…
Powered By Resell Rights .us
This day in history...
Powered By Resell Rights .us
Recent Comments