Instead of living in fear that you might have lymphoma, you should be very aware from the start of how the usual process goes. It will be better if you are going to find out more about it through research. You can get this done by going through various online resources as well as on printed books and professional studies that were conducted about the subject.

To help you understand the basic things about this illness, here is an overview of the various steps that a person goes through when they are suffering from this kind of cancer. The very first noticeable signs are the enlarged lymph nodes that can be found in the areas of armpits, neck and groin. In most cases, those who have these kinds of nodes also suffer from fever, loss of appetite and drastic weight loss.

When you seek the doctor’s help, they will require you to undergo excisional biopsy. To get this done, they will take small tissue sample from the organs or nodes that seem to be affected with the disease. This sample will be studied by a pathologist under the microscope. Other doctors may ask you to have the fine needle aspiration cytology or FNAC and will let you go through biopsy once they have determined that you have the illness. In most cases, patients go through the lymph node biopsy, but when the cancer affects other areas such as the stomach, brain or skin, the specific biopsy that are targeted to these organs will be done.

Once it was established that you are ill with this disease, the doctor will not be able to give you proper treatment until they know exactly what kind of the disorder you are dealing with. This can be ruled after the pathologist is done inspecting your biopsy sample under the microscope and they have seen the physical appearance of the cancer cells. The two main types of this sickness are the Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin or NHL. The types can also be understood through the use of markers that can point out special molecules on the affected cells.

After the diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo series of tests. Through the tests, it will be examined how far the disease has been spread through the body and what organs have already been infected. Depending on the doctor and how they perceive things, the individual may have to go through a bone marrow test, blood test and if the case is worse, they may need to seek chemotherapy treatment. After all the tests, the patient will discuss things with an oncologist about their other treatment options.

The best thing that you can do to stay healthy all the time is to eat right and lead an ideal lifestyle. This may not be that easy, especially if you are the type of person who loves going out while drinking alcohol and doing other vices. There are also those that no matter how healthy their lifestyle is, there are other factors that affect their overall well-being.

Tags: Armpits, Cancer Cells, cancer;, Chemotherapy, disease, disorder, Drastic Weight Loss, Enlarged Lymph Nodes, Fever, Fine Needle Aspiration, Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, Fnac, Groin, illness, Living In Fear, Loss Of Appetite, Lymph Node Biopsy, Lymphoma, Microscope, Needle Aspiration Cytology, NHL, Non Hodgkin, Online Resources, Pathologist, Physical Appearance, Printed Books, Professional Studies, sickness —

Experts say that aside from being unfamiliar with signs and symptoms of lymphoma, this condition can be hard to notice because the usual signs can be quite common. Some may even be mistaken for common ailments such as fever and even colds. But if you are one of those that are at risksomebody who have cancer history in their families or those that have weak immune system that are prone to infectionsit would be best to have an appointment with your doctor.

The most common signs of lymphoma would include enlarged nodes that can be seen as lumps the neck, groin or armpits, non stop fever, loss of appetite, drastic weight loss, too much sweating during bedtime, itchiness on all parts of the body, exhaustion or the constant feeling of being weak, and breathlessness that is usually accompanied by swollen face and neck.

It is advisable that the person who experiences at least three of the mentioned symptoms would go to the doctor for a check up. Once the doctor suspects that you might be suffering from lymphoma, he or she would request for diagnostic procedures including biopsy to confirm the suspicions and to also determine how much damage have the cancer cells brought to the organs of the body.

Once final diagnosis has been made, a series of tests will soon follow in order to get detailed accounts of the disease. These reports are crucial in determining what kind of treatment should be given to the patient.

Treatment options

For those who are diagnosed with lymphoma, it is a must to undergo treatment in order to open up to greater chances of recovery. However, since there are almost 35 different types of lymphoma, the treatment options may also vary and could be on a case to case basis.

When it comes to treatment, experts say that it would be possible to use the same treatment for at least three or more types depending on their nature and the way the patient’s body reacts to it. To get better understanding in lymphoma treatment, here is some overview of the four major treatment options available for you:

1. Chemotherapy. Here, drugs are administered including infusions in the patient’s veins or can be used as in the form of pills. The most common chemotherapy schedules are ABVD, R-CHOP and CHOP.

2. Radiotherapy. This is a treatment options wherein high energy rays are used and directed exactly towards the tumor. Experts say that this can be delivered over small areas which involves field radiation or in large areas which involves extended field radiation.

3. Antibody therapy. Also known as “biological therapy”, this type of treatment make use of drugs such as “rituximab” which is specially designed to target special molecules that are present on the cancer cells’ surface.

4. Bone marrow or stem cell transplant. This is probably the most painful, not to mention the most expensivelymphoma treatment available. Here, high doses of radiation or chemotherapy are used in order to eliminate all cancer cells by killing them. What is good about this is that while it targets cancerous cells, it helps save the bone marrow through stem cells or through the use of marrow transplant.

Tags: Antibody Therapy, Armpits, Biological Therapy, Breathlessness, Cancer Cells, Cancer History, cancer;, Case Basis, Chemotherapy, Common Ailments, Diagnostic Procedures, disease, Drastic Weight Loss, Fever, Final Diagnosis, high energy rays, Itchiness, Loss Of Appetite, Lymphoma, Lymphoma Treatment, Organs Of The Body, Patient Treatment, Radiation, radiotherapy, Signs And Symptoms Of Lymphoma, Stem Cells, Swollen Face, Symptoms Of Lymphoma, Treatment Experts, tumor;, Types Of Lymphoma —

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the bodys lymph system. Contrary to its name and to what some people might have told you, lymphoma is not just isolated on the lymph nodes and thymus gland for the lymph or lymphatic system is actually composed of the bone marrow, the thymus gland, the lymph nodes, tonsils, appendix and spleen. The system filters the waste or unwanted materials like fats and bacteria from the various body tissues. The one that picks up the bodys dirt is the lymph, a clear or sometimes yellowish fluid. But the question remains, how does one get lymphoma?

Unfortunately however, the answer to that question is not a simple one. For one, despite the thousands of hours spent on medical research and laboratory testing the actual cause of the disease is still an unknown. DNA mutation is one of the possible cause of why lymphoma develops but what happens why DNA have to mutate remains a big question to the medical science community. Medical scientists, nevertheless, have found several factors that can possibly increase the risks of developing lymphoma.

As you might have already guessed, the two general factors are genetic and environmental factors. Genetics for one is still a complicated issue that most likely cannot be resolved soon with a concluding answer. Inheriting the disease cannot still be ascertained as a valid cause. However, it was found out the people with inherited immune disorders are most likely to develop lymphoma as well. Immune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease appear to have a hand in the development of lymphoma.

Likewise, those that have immune system disorders are also at a higher risk of developing lymphoma. Those that belong to this type of disorders include patients with HIV/AIDS, Helicobacter Pylori and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). People with compromised immune systems like those with HIV/AIDS and EBV are often candidates for lymphoma as well.

On the environmental factors side, it should be common knowledge by now that various health hazards such as exposure to chemicals and radiation causes a variety of diseases, disorders or health conditions. And this includes developing lymphoma. More specifically, solvents like acetone, alcohol (yes various alcohols), xylene, turpentine, and benzene have found to associated with lymphoma.

The same can be said with chemical herbicides and pesticides which make farmers and various workers in the agricultural sector at a higher risk on developing the disease. Some hair dye products have also been found to be a significant factor to the development of lymphoma in some patients. Although, it seems that the hair dye products that shown such effects were those manufactured before the 1980s.

How does one get lymphoma? To fully answer that question means giving more time and more funding to the medical science community to do their research and testing. Lymphoma cases are not going down and definitely the disease is not something that can be eradicated in a quick span of time. But for now, we should at least try to avoid the various factors that increase our risk of contracting the disease. Prevention is still the best cure.

Tags: Body Tissues, cancer;, Celiac Disease, chemical herbicides, chemicals;, compromised immune systems, disease, Diseases, disorders, Dna Mutation, Environmental Factors, Epstein Barr Virus, hair dye products, Helicobacter Pylori, HIV/AIDS, Immune Disorders, Immune System Disorders, Immune Systems, inherited immune disorders, lupus, Lymph Nodes, Lymph System, Lymphoma, Medical Science, Medical Scientists, Patients With Hiv Aids, Radiation, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Science Community, Thymus Gland, Type Of Cancer, Unwanted Materials, Virus Ebv —

In all kinds of diseases and ailments knowing what you have exactly can mean life and death. Identifying, categorizing and understanding your current condition allow doctors to determine the proper and most effective means of making you better. Without proper diagnosis, the prescribed treatment can be useless and at times even prove to be deadly. In the case of lymphoma, one would encounter terms like biopsy, bone marrow examination, blood tests, spinal tap and scans which are some of the basic procedures employed by medical experts to determine or confirm the presence of lymphoma.

Usually, the very first thing that helps determine if one has lymphoma is self diagnosis. Those that observe enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin would more often than not trigger alarm bells in the their heads. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes and the immune system. As the cancer cells develop, a tumor is formed usually in the lymph nodes which manifests as painless lumps. Upon consultation, your doctor will issue a battery of tests to confirm if it is lymphoma and if it is indeed cancer determine what stage it is at to know the possible course of treatment.

A biopsy is usually the first test that your doctors will employ to confirm the presence of cancer in your lymph nodes. In a biopsy, a small sample of tissue cells is taken from the lump either through a needle or via surgery. The cells are then examined by a pathologist to confirm lymphoma cells and the diagnoses. By studying the sample cells, the can also determine the basic kind of lymphoma the patient has, whether its Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But to determine the subtle details, doctors revert to the procedure called as immunohistochemistry which simply means looking for the unique properties of the tumor cell surface through the application markers such as fluorescent dye, enzyme, or colloidal gold to accurately classify the tumor.

You doctor would most likely require you to undergo several blood tests. The blood samples would be examined closely to see the state of your red blood cells, white blood cells and blood platelets. These tests would also help determine if the cancer has affected your bodys way of producing blood. The blood tests could also show the condition of your kidneys and liver. And more importantly, the information gathered from the tests could serve as basic foundations for the kind of treatments or drugs that could be used for your speedy recovery.

Doctors might also require you to undergo a bone marrow test wherein a sample of the bone marrow is taken from your hip using a thin needle. It is a common procedure used to test for various cancers and other blood diseases. A spinal tap or lumbar puncture can also be ordered by your doctor in specific circumstances. This checks the fluid in your spinal cord and determines if any cancer cells have invaded the spine. This procedure involves inserting a thin needle at the lower part of your back and I can be quite painful and uncomfortable.

CT scans will also help determine where the tumors are exactly since it takes pictures of your body from different angles. An MRI scan, on the hand, will help determine if the cancer cells have spread to your nervous system or other body organs.

How doctors tests for lymphoma involves logical procedures whose main goal is finding out what exactly the patient has in order to determine what kinds of treatments would be used.

Tags: Alarm Bells, Bloo, blood diseases, Bone Marrow Examination, Cancer Cells, Cancer Of The Lymph Nodes, cancer;, cancers;, Cell Surface, Colloidal Gold, Current Condition, Diseases, Immunohistochemistry, Kinds Of Diseases, Lymph Nodes In The Neck, Lymphoma, Lymphoma Cancer, Lymphoma Cells, MRI, Non Hodgkin Lymphoma, Pathologist, Proper Diagnosis, Self Diagnosis, Spinal Tap, Subtle Details, surgery, Tissue Cells, Tumor Cell, tumor;, tumors; —