What happens in the body if lymphogranulomatosis is diagnosed? In the lymph nodes are "defensive cells", that is, lymphocytes. If a person becomes ill with this disease, the number of white blood cells increases dramatically, and the lymph nodes in the neck and armpits increase in volume.
Medic (pathologist) of British origin Thomas Hodgkin for the first time was able to describe this disease. Now it's called Hodgkin's lymphoma. What is this disease? What are the survival prognosis, and how is this lymphoma treated?
The hallmark of Hodgkin's disease is the presence of so-called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of abnormal cells indicates that it is cancer, but is the disease medically classified as cancer?
Hodgkin's lymphoma. Difference from other lymphomas
Lymphomas are malignant growths of lymphoid tissue. Lymphogranulomatosis, or Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma. If pathological cells are found during analyzes,then they are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Knots gradually increase and become more and more visible. For timely diagnosis, you need to contact an oncologist in time.
Lymphogranulomatosis. Is it cancer or not?
Lymphogranulomatosis is undoubtedly a very serious disease. It is commonly referred to as cancer of the lymphoid tissue. But, in fact, lymphogranulomatosis - is it cancer or not? Epidemiologically and clinically, this lymphoma differs in several ways from real cancer.
What are the differences?
- Prognosis for treatment of Hodgkin's disease is favorable. If pathology is found at stage 1, and there are no other concomitant diseases, then lymphoma is curable.
- No localized tumor characteristic of cancer.
- Cancer cells "eat" he althy cells. In the case of lymphogranulomatosis, this is not the case.
- Cancer begins with the transformation of connective tissue cells. In lymphoma, the development of another tissue (lymphoid tissue) is disrupted.
However, just like cancer, Hodgkin's disease leads to death if left untreated. Lymphoma spreads throughout the body and can lead to damage to other organs. At stages 3 and 4, the tumor is already large and all the lymph nodes in the body are affected: under the arms, in the chest, in the groin. And the treatment also consists of radiation.
Lymphogranulomatosis. Reasons
There are several theories explaining the development of lymphomas in general and Hodgkin's lymphoma in particular. Still an accurate picture of cause and effect in relation to developmentlymphogranulomatosis in medical science is not yet available. Although all oncologists refer to a genetic predisposition to this disease. However, the trigger mechanism is not known.
The main factor stimulating the development of the disease is still considered the Epstein-Barr virus, which, according to statistics, is present in most patients. Although it is likely that these are autoimmune problems or mononucleosis. Many believe that Hodgkin's disease (lymphogranulomatosis) is provoked by a strong and prolonged exposure to toxic substances and poor ecology.
A lot of time and money still needs to be spent on this issue, but so far, researchers are paying more attention to treatment.
Symptoms of lymphogranulomatosis
It is impossible to identify Hodgkin's disease (lymphogranulomatosis) without research. But you need to be careful and look closely for signs of illness.
Symptoms are as follows:
- Without special reasons (no infection, no temperature), lymph nodes increase. There is no pain on palpation.
- Dyspnea due to the spread of the disease to the mediastinum. Enlarged lymph nodes in the chest area compress the lungs.
- Heavy night sweats.
- Fast weight loss. A person "disappears" before our eyes.
- Possible abdominal pain.
- Some patients (30–35%) complain of terrible itching of the skin.
- Weakness and fever. Usually up to 380 C.
- When the spleen increases in size over time, the patientfeels heaviness in the hypochondrium on the left.
Patients don't usually care how their disease is classified, but they do care about survival rates. The question of whether lymphogranulomatosis is cancer or not is more of a medical nature. It is important for people who are not related to medicine to know the main signs of lymphogranulomatosis and understand that the disease is actually serious and can be fatal.
How common is Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Hodgkin's lymphoma - what is this disease? How does it develop and how common is it in the world? According to studies, white people are much more susceptible to lymphoma than black people.
This lymphoma is found in 3 out of 1 million people a year. Among other lymphomas, Hodgkin's occurs in 15% of cases. The most dangerous form is lymphoid depletion.
Earlier, even in the United States, where medicine is more developed, more than 1,100 people died every year from Hodgkin's disease. But after 1975, the statistics began to change, doctors learned how to deal with lymphoma and its consequences.
Risk group
The risk group includes people over 50 and young people aged 16-20. Adolescents under 18 - this group is 5% of the total number of patients. And this is 150 people a year. These data are provided by the statistics of German researchers. It is believed that the risk group also includes such categories of the population:
- women who become pregnant after 30;
- people exposed to long-term ultraviolet radiation;
- older people;
- who have an immunodeficiency problem.
However, after intensive care, people recover completely, or remain in remission for a long time if the lymphoma is found at a late stage. The most attentive should be someone who is at risk and can get a diagnosis of "lymphogranulomatosis"; symptoms, blood tests and x-rays - all this needs to be constantly checked, be on the alert and monitor your condition.
Complications
What complications can await the patient? It is known that lymphoma spreads to the lymph nodes and disrupts the functioning of many organs. The work of the liver is disrupted, the spleen and thymus are significantly enlarged.
The brain is damaged. But what other diseases can accompany lymphoma?
- nephrotic syndrome;
- neurological complications;
- mediastinal jaundice;
- lymph edema;
- intestinal occlusion;
- infections;
- fungal infections against a background of weakened immunity.
This disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women. As for men, after being treated for the disease, they are not recommended to have children for 1 year.
Diagnosis
How to correctly diagnose? Lymphogranulomatosis is not determined only by external signs. It is important for doctors to recognize the stage of the disease and the type of lymphoma. To accurately diagnose the form, you need to conduct a lot of tests.
Of course, an experienced doctor will not be mistaken, he will be informed that the patient has lymphogranulomatosis, symptoms. A blood test is also important. In addition to blood tests, the following procedures are performed:
- MRI.
- Biopsy.
- Trepanobiopsy is recommended at stage 4.
- Be sure to palpate the lymph nodes on the neck and next to the collarbones. If there is lymphoma, they will be enlarged. However, a person usually does not experience pain.
- X-ray allows you to see an increase in lymph nodes in the mediastinum. This is also a special sign of lymphoma.
Enlarged lymph nodes compress veins and arteries, because of this, swelling is clearly visible in many patients. Metabolism must be studied. Cough, along with shortness of breath and severely inflamed nodes under the armpits - all this indirectly indicates Hodgkin's disease.
Diagnosis should still be based on biopsy data and blood tests of the patient. A biochemical blood test usually shows elevated levels of bilirubin, liver enzymes, and globulins. The patient will have anemia and advanced thrombocytopenia.
Forecasts
Yet Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer that is relatively easy to treat. More than 95% of patients who have completed the necessary course of radiation recover. And it sets up patients in a positive way. After all, there is nothing to despair if this particular lymphoma is found.
The worst prognosis has such a diagnosis as lymphoid depletion. With this diagnosis, a lot of atypical cells and a lot of fibrous tissue are found. It is possible to identify lymphoid depletion only with the help of a biopsy, since histological examination is useless here. But this form occursonly 5% of patients with lymphogranulomatosis.
Hodgkin's lymphogranulomatosis is favorable, the survival prognosis for which is the highest. Such a prognosis is given when lymphogranulomatosis is detected in the mildest form - with a predominance of lymphocytes. In this case, the disease develops without sclerosis, necrosis and is quickly treatable.
Forms of Hodgkin's disease
To clarify the form of the disease, it is important to make a detailed analysis of the blood composition. There are several forms of lymphogranulomatosis. Multinucleated pathological cells are the substrate of the tumor, and if they are detected, lymphogranulomatosis (Hodgkin's disease) is almost 100% confirmed.
So, the forms are distinguished as follows:
1) Classic shape. It includes the following subtypes:
- knot shape;
- mixed cell;
- with low lymphocyte count (lymphoid depletion).
2) A form of lymphogranulomatosis significantly enriched in lymphocytes.
Depending on what form of lymphogranulomatosis, the doctor will plan treatment and make predictions. The most dangerous is the form with a small number of lymphocytes.
Stages of disease
As for the stages of lymphogranulomatosis, there are 4 stages, as in cancer. Again the question arises: "Lymphogranulomatosis - is it cancer or not?". Basically, it's practically a cancer of the lymphoid tissue, and many doctors simply ignore the differences.
What is Hodgkin's disease? The stages are as follows:
- Local stage whenonly one group of nodes (or two groups) has been increased.
- Regional - several lymph nodes up to the diaphragm are involved.
- Generalized - nodes affected on both sides of the diaphragm.
- Disseminated. The last and most difficult stage, when other organs and systems are involved in the pathological process: the spleen, liver.
The stage of lymphoma is determined after ultrasound and computed tomography.
Pathological Reed-Sternberg cells quickly spread with blood to other groups of lymph nodes. It is very important to recognize lymphoma at stage 1 or 2 and immediately conduct chemotherapy, and then radiotherapy. This slows down the growth and spread of abnormal cells.
Treatment with modern techniques
How is lymphogranulomatosis treated? The treatment is getting more and more effective. Compared with the last decades of the 20th century, progress in the cure of this disease is evident: 90% of cases or more live beyond the age of 5 years and, being in hospital, are completely cured. Today, the following treatment methods are used in world practice:
- antibody therapy;
- biological therapy;
- splenectomy;
- stem cell transplant;
- radiotherapy;
- surgery;
- steroid treatment.
Among cytostatics, doctors can prescribe: "Embikhin", "Cyclophosphan", "Natulan", "Prednisolone". These drugs are used for a long timeperiod.
And radiotherapy almost always improves the patient's condition. Almost all patients go through this procedure.
However, not all of these methods are used for treatment. The personal attending physician should develop his plan. Some are limited only to chemotherapy and drugs. Others prefer steroid treatment. It all depends on the age of the patient and his current condition.
Therapy with folk remedies
In addition to medicines, you can take natural medicines. Some plants really have an excellent healing effect, for example, aloe. Here is one of the recipes that contains aloe juice: 500 gr. juice of this plant, 700 gr. honey and only 20 gr. mummy. Defend for three days.
A drink made from a plant such as red root or periwinkle is also a maintenance therapy.
But you need to understand that taking herbs cannot be the main treatment for such a serious disease as Hodgkin's disease. Treatment with folk remedies is secondary; primary is still radiation and drugs.
How to protect yourself from Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Because the exact causes of this disease have not yet been found, it is difficult to judge prevention. Nevertheless, it is important for young people to take care of their he alth more, to expose the body less to toxic substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Frequent visits to solariums can also be harmful.
