Lymphoma Warning Signs
Panicking is never a good thing. Imagine yourself running back and forth inside your house after you felt a lump of in you armpits. It is very possible that you have lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes. But still going around in panic is never the answer. Early detection is very important in this situation for treatment of the cancer is more effective. But one could actually check if he or she has lymphoma by looking out for a few lymphoma waning signs. But of course, self diagnosis is never a replacement for the actual, proper and effective medical testing.
As mentioned before, one of the first warning signs that you probably would observe is the presence of lumps not only in your armpits but in your neck and groin as well. These lumps are painless and signs of enlarged lymph nodes. However, an enlarged lymph node is not specific to lymphoma. There might be other underlying conditions for the cause of swollen or enlarged lymph nodes.
Another sign is sudden weight loss. If you found yourself suddenly loosing weight without no apparent cause then lymphoma might be the reason. Although, sudden weight loss is in itself an indication that something is not right with your bodys state of health so it is imperative that you visit your doctor for a check up. In the case of lymphoma patients, however, they found themselves losing ten or even fifteen pounds over just a couple of months without doing any exercises or changing their diet or eating habits at all.
Fever is also an indication of a possible lymphoma diagnosis especially if the fever comes and goes and is like that for a long time now. Fever often comes with body infections. People often mistook lymphomas as mere infections. Again, it is reiterated that consulting your doctors when you experience such fevers is highly recommended.
Other signs include excessive sweating at night which not only is quite unique to lymphoma but is also very uncomfortable which in a way signals the person to have his body checked. People who experience this abnormal sweating behavior wake up practically drenched even if they did not have any nightmares whatsoever or fell asleep in a room with extremely hot temperature. Just like excessive sweating, feeling itchy all over is another unique symptom of lymphoma. The itchiness comes from the release of chemicals from the cancer cells.
Fatigue and loss of appetite are also quite common in lymphoma patients. People actually feel this way because the cancer cells have grown considerably that they are practically sucking most of the nutrients you get from the food you eat. And with the loss of appetite the cancer cells sucks more of the bodys nutrients thats why it is only natural that you feel weak.
The good thing about medical science is that they continue to find ways of treating various ailments and diseases. Lymphoma can be treated and with early detection the treatments are more effective with more positive results. We just need to heed the lymphoma warning signs to help patients with lymphoma get an immediate diagnosis and treatment.
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Knowing Your Cancer, How Lymphoma Spreads
These are some facts according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: 19.5 out of every 100,000 people in the world develop Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma while 2.8 out of every 100,000 people in the world are diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. Hodgkins disease and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma are two of the main classifications of lymphoma, a cancer of the bodys lymph system. The lymph system, being part of our immune system, is tasked to eliminate bacteria, diseases and infection from our body. But when the cells multiply abnormally, tumors begin to appear in the lymph nodes. You can feel these as lumps in the nodes of the neck, armpit and groin. Soon the cancer cells will spread in other parts of the body, how lymphoma spreads is a good thing to know.
Metastasis. This is a word we often hear in cancer patients. This is actually a term which refers to the spreading of cancer to the rest of the body. Lymphoma at first is a single tumor in one of the many lymph nodes of the body. What happens when the cancer cells undergo metastasis is that cancer-infected cells break away from the main tumor and moves to another part of the body. The cancer cells use the bloodstream to move from one area of the body to another. The cancer cell can attach itself to another lymph node or to other organs of the body. When it fastened firmly, the cells reproduce again until it creates another mass of tissue to form as a tumor. Then the whole process repeats itself.
For lymphoma, the cancer cells use the lymphatic system of the body to spread. The lymphatic system of the body is pretty much like the bloodstream, it is spread although out the body since it is responsible for keeping the body clean from infections and diseases. The lymphatic system is an open canal where cancer cells can travel and create more tumors.
The tumors are pretty deadly. Because of the accelerated rate of growth, these cancer cells can continue to make the tumors grow. Soon enough the tumors grow large enough that the healthy tissues or organs are prevented to function normally. Eventually the healthy tissues or organs will stop functioning which spells death to the person.
Like any cancer, lymphoma has also a number of stages. These stages describe the severity of the condition and indicate how far the cancer cells have infected the body. Stage I is the first stage of the cancer. At this level, the cancer cells have only infected one lymph node or one part of the body. Because it is still developing, this stage is also referred to as the early disease.
The second stage or Stage II is far more alarming. At this point the cancer cells have metastasis and have infected another one or even more lymph nodes or parts of the body. However, at Stage II the infection is limited to either above or below the persons diaphragm. This stage is called locally advanced disease.
Stage III is known as the advanced disease. The cancer cells at this stage have found its way on both sides of the diaphragm and have established a number of tumors in those areas. The final stage or Stage IV or widespread disease is described by spread of the cancer cells to one or more of the bodys organs such as the bone, skin, liver or lungs.
This is how lymphoma spreads. That is why it is important for an early detection of the disease for proper and effective treatment.
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Diagnosing Lymphoma
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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Detecting Early Signs of Lymphoma
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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