Lymphoma is the development of cancer cells in the human lymphatic system. This term includes a group of 30 diseases that differ in their symptoms, type of tumors and response to therapy. For productive treatment, you need to know which type of lymphoma you are talking about.
Lymphoma is a consequence of abnormal cell development
This type of cancer occurs when lymphocytes (white blood cells that help the body defend itself against infections) begin to behave abnormally: they divide much faster than normal, and in addition, they live longer than they should. All this causes the development of tumors in many parts of the body where these cells are present: in the spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, blood, as well as in organs that have lymphoid tissue: the stomach, conjunctiva of the eye, skin, etc.
Basically, lymphomas are divided into two types: Hodgkin's disease (in this case, there are Sternberg-Reed cells in the body) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Because the treatment of these pathologies varies, it is very important to establish the type of disease.
How Lymphoma Manifests
Thisthe pathological condition in the initial stage is sometimes manifested by a set of symptoms, which, by the way, are very reminiscent of the manifestations of the flu, colds or respiratory diseases. Patients do not go to the doctor, thinking that they are dealing with a protracted infection, and this often makes it difficult to identify lymphoma at an early stage.
Such symptoms include:
- fever;
- swollen lymph nodes (may or may not be painful) under armpits, groin and neck;
- chill;
- weakness;
- night sweats;
- persistent itching all over the body for no apparent reason;
- headache;
- unexplained weight loss.
Lymphomas can be divided according to the rate of development into inactive and active species. The former grow slowly and show few symptoms, while the latter cause severe symptoms and develop rapidly, requiring urgent treatment.
How lymphoma is detected: tests and examinations
Patients turn to the doctor, as a rule, with complaints of enlarged lymph nodes. But be aware - this symptom is characteristic of many diseases and is not necessarily associated with lymphoma!
Therefore, before making an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully examine the patient to assess the prevalence of the disease and the condition of the organs. This includes physical examination, lymph node biopsy, X-ray, blood tests (biochemical and general), MRI, PET, CT scan, etc.
Lymphoma is treated!
Lymphomas arise in the cells of the immune system and spread throughout the body with the flow of lymph and blood. Therefore, at the time of diagnosis in a patient, as a rule, cancer cells can be found in different parts of the body. Because of this, the definition of standard stages of cancer - tumor, lymph nodes, metastases - is not suitable for lymphomas.
But late diagnosis is not a death sentence for a patient who has been diagnosed with lymphoma. This disease is treated much more effectively than other types of cancer. The main thing is to determine its type. So, indolent lymphomas may not require special treatment. In other cases, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as stem cell transplantation, are used. Up to 80% of patients can live at least 5 years after treatment.
