Three Things To Know About Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in lymphocytes. Occasionally, it will originate in histiocytes, but that is very rare. These cell types for the reticuloendothelial system and they circulate the vessels of the lymphatic system. There are many different types of lymphomas and all are part of the group of diseases known as hematological neoplasms.
Generally speaking, Lymphoma is classified as either Hodgkin’s lymphoma or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Hodgkin’s lymphoma was discovered by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832. There are at least three things you should know about any form of lymphoma.
First, you will need to know the symptoms of lymphoma. For non-Hodgkin’s and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the symptoms are swollen, painless lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin, unexplained weight loss, fever, night sweats, coughing, chest pain, and trouble breathing, weakness and tiredness that do not go away, and pain, swelling, or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen. Collectively these do not automatically mean you have this type of lymphoma, but if the symptoms do not go away in a couple of weeks, then you should seek the advice of your doctor.
If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above and they do not go away, then a visit to your doctor is necessary. He or she will be able to help you figure out if they are from cancer or a totally different cause. They will more than likely ask you about your personal and family medical history. Even if they already have this information on file, something new could have come up since your last visit. They may give you a physical exam and check for swollen lymph nodes in your neck, underarms, and groin. He or she may also check your spleen and liver to see if they are swollen, too. A blood test may be performed to check your complete blood count. This just means they are checking the number of blood cells you have. The blood test will also tell the lab if you have any other substances in your blood, such as lactate dehydrogenase. Lymphoma has been known to cause a high level of this substance.
Your doctor may request that you have a chest x-ray. This will check for swollen lymph nodes and other signs of disease in your chest. In the end, your doctor may wish to do a biopsy to look for lymphoma cells in your tissue. This is the only for sure way to diagnose lymphoma. They could remove an entire lymph node or just part of one. A pathologist will check the tissue for lymphoma cells under a microscope. They will have to make an incision to remove the tissue because a needle biopsy will not remove a large enough sample for the pathologist to be able to effectively diagnose lymphoma.
Lastly, you will want to know how to treat the disease if you do find out you have it. The treatment course that is taken is determined by what type of lymphoma you have, the stage your cancer is in, how fast it is growing, your age, and whether or not you have other health problems. You will want to work with your doctor to choose a treatment plan that will meet your needs. Generally, though, you could undergo chemotherapy, radiation treatments, biological therapy, or a combination of these. If you have Hodgkin’s lymphoma or your non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma comes back, you may need to receive a stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.
