Many people that suffer from lymphoma, the cancer of the lymph system, remain undiagnosed for a long time because they dont know the symptoms to watch out for.

The alarming signs of lymphoma would include enlarged nodes that are usually painless lumps that are seen in the neck, armpits or groin; sudden dropping of weight; continuous or internment fever, excessive sweating at night time, extreme itchiness every part of the body, the rapid loss in appetite; the feeling exhaustion or fatigue, weakness despite regular eating and rest, and swollen neck and face along with non stop breathlessness.

Aside from the lymph system, experts say that lymphoma can also occur in the other parts of the body or organs such as the stomach. So, when at least three of these symptoms become persistent, it would be best for you to consult a doctor so he or she could request for lymphoma diagnosis for you.

Options for lymphoma diagnosis

If you want to have an idea what are the options for you when you decide to undergo diagnosis for lymphoma, the most common tests and procedures would include biopsy, knowing the type of lymphoma and other related tests.

1. Biopsy. This is considered as the “first step” in diagnosis for lymphoma. Usually, doctors perform what they call “excisional biopsy” wherein a small sample of tissue will be acquired from the affected organs or nodes of the patient. Once the sample is acquired, an expert called “pathologist,” will examine it under the microscope. Here, it can be seen if the patient has cancer cells that would cause lymphoma. The most common type of biopsy given to those who are at risk is “lymph node biopsy”. However, when the cancerous cells affect areas such as the brain, the skin, or the abdomen or stomach, a biopsy from the mentioned organ will be prioritized. A more specific type of biopsy for lymphoma is called “Lymph Node Biopsy and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology” or FNAC which intends to get more sample for to produce a well-detailed diagnosis.

2. How to determine the type of lymphoma. Once the biopsy has been made, the next would be how to determine the type of lymphoma there is. There are over 20 types of lymphoma but these all fall under two category including Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This can be determined by the pathologist once he or she places the sample of tissue under a microscope. Here, physical appearance of the cells will be scrutinized carefully.

3. Succeeding tests after the diagnosis. After the biopsy and after the type of lymphoma has been determined, a series of tests and other examinations will follow. These are very important to be able to know exactly how much of the cancer cells have spread out and the potential damage it has brought to the organ/s affected. Other tests might include Bone Marrow Test and PET Scans for Lymphoma among others. These are crucial for the patient so he or she would undergo necessary treatments that would make the condition a lot better.

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There are many types of cancer and it is best that you become aware of the symptoms of signs of each so that you wont be surprised after spending lots of time thinking about things and realizing that you are already infected with one. Many kinds of the cancer disease are hard to determine, especially at the first phase, which is a vital stage to know if you have this so that you can undergo the necessary medications while the sickness can still be cured. One kind of cancer with symptoms that are confusing is known as lymphoma. Most of the signs and changes on your body that will occur if you have this can also happen in other kinds of illnesses.

This kind of cancer starts in the lymphocytes, which can be found in the bodys immune system. The condition will develop into solid tumor on the lymphoid cells. This illness is categorized in many types that are part of an extensive group of disorders that are referred to as hematological neoplasms.

If you are starting to feel vital changes on your system, you must not disregard this. Check these common symptoms of this illness and consult your doctor for more information and proper treatment.

1. It is a good habit to check your body for any kinds of lumps that are already growing at certain areas. In this case, enlarged lymph nodes usually develop in the groin, armpits and neck. You will notice these if you are going to inspect your body when you are done bathing or when you are changing clothes. These lumps are painless, especially during the first few weeks of the cancer development. These nodes usually lead to other symptoms that are not exclusive to this kind of sickness.

2. The cells that are infected with whatever is causing the illness produce special chemicals that may cause the whole body to itch. This may become intolerable no matter what kind of creams you put on your skin, so you may be more determined to get checked by a professional. It may be okay to resort to self-medication during the first day or even two, but you really have to take the matter more seriously if the itchiness doesnt stop after you have tried everything. You wouldnt want to be faced with greater consequences as a result of your inaction, so you really have to consult the doctor to know whats the matter.

3. As the cancer cells grow, you will feel weaker and wont have the energy to do things that you used to enjoy. These cancer cells utilize most of the bodys nutrients. Aside from this, you are also losing the drive to eat. This will lead to alarming weight loss and if you are not going to do anything about it, you will find it hard to enjoy life and become productive.

Even if you dont have it, it will help to be armed with the right information about how to detect if you have lymphoma. It is also very important to undergo overall body exam once a year to make sure that you are fit and you are not suffering from any kinds of illnesses.

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When a person is diagnosed with a condition known as lymphoma, his life should evolve in more than just having laboratory tests and deciding what treatment to take. During the entire course of the treatment and several years following its completion, there are many other issues that would come and go, like coping with side effects from treatments, possible remission and relapse, understanding the concepts of disease response, and arranging for necessary funding for the treatment. The immediate family of the patient should also readily provide support in any form other than financial. The issues should be immediately understood and addressed.

Remember that lymphoma treatment could be long and very complicated. Every type of treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and antibodies) could bring about its own complications and issues. There are known side effects of taking such lymphoma treatments. They include hair loss, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, sore mouth, and sore skin. Red blood and white blood count could also fall as such cells could also be killed along with cancer cells during treatment. In some cases, there is nausea, vomiting, and difficulty or pain in swallowing and drinking.

For the financial aspect, understand that lymphoma treatment could be significantly expensive. Several treatments and drugs may be covered under health insurances and government grants but still overall costs could be high. The patient could opt to take financial aid from the government specifically granted to cancer patients. There are even non-government organizations that provide financial support to lymphoma and other cancer patients.

The patient should understand treatment response as well as survival. When treatment is completed, the doctors should immediately assess treatment response. Once all diseases seem to have already disappeared, the patient has had a complete response. He is in a stage of remission. When the disease reappears in the future, there is a condition called a relapse. The patient should very well understand the possibility for both remission and relapse. The doctor should explain each very carefully to the patient.

There are issues following the lymphoma treatment. Patients who win the initial battle against the disease should still expect significant issues in the coming years. Lymphoma and the treatments used have long-term effects. The survivors battle is not yet over after complete recovery. In the coming years after the treatment, these could still be expected: cancer-related fatigue, infertility, memory problems, and possible heart damages.

Lastly, the lymphoma patient should not feel alone. The patient needs to feel that his battle against the disease is not fought by him alone. Moral and emotional support could be important. The family members and the loved ones of the patient could take significant roles in supporting the affected individual. Some people fail to recognize the fact that recovery from lymphoma goes beyond mere monetary expenses. Physical recovery from the disease should be complemented by emotional and mental recovery. In this aspect, making the patient feel loved and supported by people around him would definitely help.

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The most commonly used treatments for lymphoma are chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy involves the administration or application of drugs infused into the veins of the patients. Chemotherapy could also be taken in the form of oral pills. 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 (involved field radiation) or over large areas (extended field radiation).

Such lymphoma treatments are quite toxic. They are designed to strategically kill targeted cancer cells. It is not impossible that during the process, several normal cells are also being damaged. Thus, there are inevitable side effects. However, rest assured that most side effects of lymphoma treatments are only temporary. Such unlikely effects are resolved soon following completion of the treatments. Here are some of the commonly identified side effects of treatments used to cure lymphoma.

Feeling sick. There are chemotherapy drugs that could certainly make you feel nauseous or sick. There could even be several episodes of vomiting especially when chemotherapy comes with radiotherapy for the abdomen. Nausea is often prevented through administration of anti-emetics drugs prior to every cycle of chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. These days, there are even medicines that help control nausea and vomiting.

Hair loss. Chemotherapy usually leads to excessive loss of hair. The extent of alopecia could depend on the drug used in the session. There are other effective drugs that could lead to this problem. However, there is no need to worry because hair is almost always beginning to grow back a few months after completion of the treatment. In some cases, it may take more than a year before hair growth restarts.

Falling blood count and infection. During the course of the radiotherapy or chemotherapy, your blood count could fall below optimal or normal levels. Needless to say, your white blood cells are the most affected. You know that when white cell counts dip, the body could develop several forms of infections, often accompanied by fever. Contact your doctor at once when fever appears. You might need special treatment to boost your white cell count and take care of the infection. Any drop in red blood cells could easily be remedied through blood transfusions.

Loss of appetite. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy could alter your sense of taste especially during the duration of the treatment. However, like in hair loss, the sense of taste may return to normal following completion of the lymphoma treatment. Meanwhile, you should strive to take even small meals and drink plenty of water and fluids more frequently. Remember the importance of maintaining your overall nutrition during the treatment.

Sore mouth and sore skin. Lymphoma treatments could lead to sore mouth several weeks after the start of the program. Thus, you could feel difficulty or even pain in drinking and swallowing food. In most cases, doctors recommend temporarily switching to mashed foods that are much easier to swallow. Radiotherapy could cause soreness on the skin. However, such a problem is of no concern as skin sores easily go away immediately after radiation treatment.

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