Risk Factors For Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a disease that is not altogether common throughout the world, but it is definitely one that everyone should know about. To that end, we’ve composed this article to help you determine exactly what sort of a risk you face when it comes to coming down with a lymphoma condition.
Scientists have come a long way in the search for what exactly causes lymphoma, but they still don’t understand exactly what causes one person with risk factors to develop the disease while another person with the same risk factors does not. One of the first things to realize when it comes to how cancer develops is the fact that a genetic mutation occurs in the DNA of cells. For that reason, the best guesses that we have when it comes to whether or not a person will develop lymphoma are the statistics upon which we’ve found people to be more likely to develop the disease.
The first factor that may play into your risk of developing a case of lymphoma is age. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is the most commonly occurring form of the disease, has been shown to be more prevalent in those that are of an older age. Statistics show that someone’s risk of developing Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma increases at an exponential level from between the ages of twenty and seventy nine. Hodgkin’s disease, the other form of lymphoma, strikes at random periods. Most cases of Hodgkin’s disease are diagnosed between two different age ranges: those that are between the ages of fifteen and forty, and those that are older than fifty five.
Another risk factor for lymphoma is the sex of a person. As is the case in many cancers, one sex faces a much higher risk than the other when it comes to developing lymphoma. In both Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease, men face a much higher risk of developing the disease than their female counterparts.
One factor that scientists have determined may be at least partially responsible for the development of lymphoma is a person’s exposure to certain sicknesses and infections. While the development of lymphoma is not dependent on someone contracting these symptoms, they still put someone in a higher risk range when it comes to developing the disease. Some of the sicknesses that may be troublesome include the Epstein-Barr virus, HTLV-1, and AIDS. Thus is the case for many people who have decreased immune functioning. If someone’s immune system is weakened due to the presence of AIDS, inherited immuno-deficiency problems, or an organ transplant in which the patient has to take immuno-depressant drugs in order for their body to accept the organ, they may be at a higher risk for both types of lymphoma.
Exposure to certain chemicals may also play a role in a person’s development of lymphoma. Some common chemicals that are to blame for an increased risk of lymphoma include herbicides and pesticides. Also, the medicine prescribed to epileptics that is known as Dilantin may cause the lymph tissues to grow quickly, leading to a possible lymphoma problem.
If you suspect that you may be at risk for lymphoma, it can’t hurt to talk to a doctor. Early detection is key to treating lymphoma as the disease can spread throughout the body if not treated soon enough. To that end, be sure to keep in touch with your body, noting any changes and speaking to a doctor if the situation merits it.
