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Lymphoma is a cancer that occur in the lymphatic system, which is a component of the body’s defense against infection. The lymphatic system encompasses various components such as lymph nodes (also known as lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow. Lymphoma has the potential to impact all these regions, along with other organs found throughout the body.
Lymphoma comes in various types. The primary types include:
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s disease
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
The type and severity of the patient’s lymphoma will determine the appropriate course of treatment. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy drugs, radiation therapy, a bone marrow transplant, or a combination of these treatments may be used to treat lymphoma.
Symptoms
Many of the symptoms of lymphoma are exhibited by other diseases. Experiencing these symptoms does not necessarily indicate the presence of lymphoma. Lymphoma signs and symptoms may include:
- Painless lymph node swelling in the groin, armpits, or neck
- Constant fatigue
- Unexplained fever
- Night sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained weight loss
- Skin itchiness
If someone has any troubling signs or symptoms, and if a patient’s symptoms persist for more than a few weeks, they should consult a healthcare provider.
Causes
What causes lymphoma is unknown to healthcare providers. But it starts when a genetic mutation occurs in a lymphocyte, a type of white blood cell that fights infection. The mutation instructs the cell to divide quickly, producing lots of sick lymphocytes that keep reproducing.
Additionally, the mutation enables the cells to continue to exist when other normal cells would have died. The lymph nodes, spleen, and liver enlarge as a result of having an excessive number of diseased and inefficient lymphocytes there.
Risk factors
Despite the fact that most cancers are the result of random chance, experts have identified a number of factors that may increase the risk:
- Age: While some lymphoma kinds are more frequently diagnosed in people over 55, others are more frequently found in young adults.
- Family history: A family member with lymphoma could increase the likelihood in developing the condition.
- Gender: Males are somewhat more likely than females to get lymphoma.
- Impaired immune system: People with immune system disorders or those who take immunosuppressive medications are more likely to develop lymphoma.
- Certain infections: The Epstein-Barr virus and Helicobacter pylori infection are two infections linked to a higher risk of lymphoma. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Kaposi sarcoma could also increase the risk in developing lymphoma.
Diagnosis
Lymphoma is diagnosed and treated by healthcare providers using a variety of tests:
- Physical examination: The healthcare provider will conduct an assessment for enlarged or swelling lymph nodes, including those in the neck, underarms, and groin, as well as an enlarged spleen or liver.
- Blood tests: The results of blood tests that count the cells in a sample of blood can offer a healthcare provider with information regarding the patient’s diagnosis.
- Imaging test: To check for lymphoma signs in other body parts, a healthcare provider may advise imaging tests. CT, MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET) are a few possible tests.
- Lymph node biopsy: A lymph node biopsy procedure to remove all or part of a lymph node for laboratory testing may be advised by a healthcare provider. Advanced diagnostics can establish whether lymphoma cells are present and which cell types are implicated.
- Bone marrow biopsy: A needle is inserted into the hipbone during a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy procedure to extract a sample of bone marrow. It is examined to check for lymphoma cells.
There are many different types of lymphoma, and it is essential to identify the patient’s specific type in order to plan a treatment strategy. According to research, having a pathologist analyze a biopsy sample increases the likelihood that the diagnosis will be correct. It is advisable to seek a second opinion from a specialist who can provide a conclusive diagnosis.
Treatment
The type and stage of the patient’s lymphoma, their general health, and their personal preferences will all influence the best course of treatment. In order to put the disease into remission, the treatment’s main objective is to eliminate as many cancer cells as is possible.
Lymphoma treatments include:
- Active surveillance: Some lymphoma types grow relatively slowly. When lymphoma symptoms interfere with daily activities, the patient and their healthcare provider may decide to start treatment. In the meantime, individuals could go through routine examinations to keep an eye on their health.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy use medications to kill cancer cells. Typically, drugs are administered intravenously; however, in certain cases, they can also be taken orally as pills, depending on the specific medications prescribed.
- Radiation therapy: High-powered energy beams, such X-rays and protons, are used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells.
- Bone marrow transplant: The bone marrow is suppressed with large doses of chemotherapy and radiation prior to a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant. After that, healthy bone marrow stem cells from the patient or a donor are injected into their circulation, where they travel to the bones and regenerate the bone marrow.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy boosts the immune system’s capacity to combat cancer.
- Targeted therapy: With targeted therapy, cancer cells are attacked without harming healthy cells using medications or other chemicals.
- CAR T-cell therapy: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is an advanced treatment that harnesses the immune system’s T cells to combat infections. This specialized therapy involves genetically modifying the T cells to specifically target cancer cells. Once modified, these cells are reintroduced into the patient’s body to enhance the fight against cancer.
