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.

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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.

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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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Lymphoma simply means cancer of the lymphatic system. However, as simple as it sounds the disease is quite complex. So it is only natural to begin asking your doctor about lymphoma right from the start. But it is essential that you ask the right questions as well. Never be shy about asking questions that you think sounds stupid. Your future health is on the line so it is imperative that you be properly informed.

We often ask our doctors what causes lymphoma. Unfortunately, the answer to this question remains to be a big fat unknown. Doctors and scientists have yet to identify the singular cause of the cancer. However, what they were able to do was identify the different risk factors involve that might affect the development of lymphoma. It seems that prolong exposure to hazardous chemicals, herbicides, pesticides and even drugs that suppress the bodys immune system have been tied to the high chances of developing cancer of the lymphatic system. Avoiding these situations would be a good life choice or at the very least if you work in the industry where handling chemicals or pesticides are necessary you should take the necessary precautions to protect our bodies from harm.

You need to ask your doctor what type of lymphoma you have. There are two kinds: the Hodgkin’s lymphoma which is immediately identifiable under the microscope due to the presence of a particular cell. This is actually the most common kind of lymphoma. The rest of the cases that dont adhere to the conditions and appearance of Hodgkins lymphoma are simply classified as non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Even though they have similarities, the two kinds of lymphoma use slightly different treatment procedures which are why it is important that your doctors are able to identify what kind you have.

How far the disease has spread and how serious is the condition? This is another pertinent information before treatment is implemented. There are basically four stages of lymphoma development. The first stage is where the cancer cells are just in one part of your body so far. At this stage the cancer cells are isolated in at least one lymph node. The second stage is more complex for the cancer cells are in two or more lymph nodes or regions. The cancer cells are located either above or below the diaphragm. This stage is also referred to as “locally advanced disease.”

The next stage is the advance disease which is the third stage already. The cancer cells at this point are already on both sides of the diaphragm. The final stage or stage four means the cancer cells have already spread to other parts of the body.

The next series of questions would be concerning the treatment. What are the treatment recommendations and what are the procedures for the treatment. There are a number of treatment options available. Among them is biologic therapy which uses methods like monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapy, interleukin 2 and vaccines that boost the bodys capability of protecting itself from lymphoma. Other treatments include the conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Asking your doctor about lymphoma means to get all the information about the disease in order for you to be prepared physically, mentally and psychologically on the next steps that you would need to undergo.

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