Lymphoma is a malignant disease characterized by enlargement of lymph nodes. It occurs at all ages and in all genders.
There are two types: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin. According to statistics, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the fifth most common type of cancer.
There have been significant innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas in recent years. In some types, it is now possible to completely get rid of the disease.
Lymphoma is cancer of where?
Lymphoma is a cancer of blood cells called lymphocytes. These cells are found in the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes and take part in body defense.
Lymph nodes are a part of the structure known as the lymphatic system in the body and are in contact with many organs and tissues such as lymph vessels, spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow. Lymphoma occurs when lymphocytes, the cells of this system, begin to multiply uncontrollably. While the proliferating lymphocytes cause enlargement of the lymph nodes, when the disease progresses, it can spread to other organs such as the spleen and liver.
Is the cause of lymphoma known?
The exact cause of lymphomas is currently unknown. However, it is known that immune system deficiencies, organ transplants, HIV infection and some other infections predispose to lymphomas.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
Lymphoma causes painless enlargement in the neck, armpit and inguinal lymph nodes. There may also be glandular enlargements in areas within the body that cannot be recognized from the outside, such as inside the abdomen, inside the thorax.
Not every disease that causes enlargement in lymph nodes is lymphoma, of course. In many cases, especially in microbial diseases, glandular enlargement can be seen. For example, inflammation of the tonsils or teeth may cause swelling in the lymph nodes under the jaw or neck.
The following complaints may also be seen in patients with lymphoma along with gland enlargement:
- Fever,
- Unintentional weight loss,
- Fatigue,
- Night sweats,
- Itching.
How is the diagnosis made?
The diagnosis of lymphoma can only be made by biopsy. For this purpose, a piece is taken from the enlarged lymph node. Sometimes the diagnosis is made by biopsy to be performed from any organ involved instead of the gland. For example, if there is gastric lymphoma, the diagnosis is reached by gastric biopsy.
What is staging in lymphoma?
Staging is done to understand how far the lymphoma has spread throughout the body.
For staging, besides the patient’s examination findings, examinations such as lung and abdominal tomography and bone marrow biopsy are applied.
According to the results of the examination, the stages of the patients are numbered from one to four. The first stage shows the mildest, the fourth stage shows the most advanced disease.
The stage of the patient guides the doctor about the type and duration of the treatment to be applied.
How is lymphoma treated?
In the treatment of lymphoma, irradiation, chemotherapy or both are used depending on the situation.
Which treatment to choose is decided according to the type of disease. Many types of lymphomas are known. The treatment to be chosen is different for each of these.
Which treatment method will be chosen is decided by considering various factors, especially the extent of the disease, the age of the patient and the state of organ functions.
In the treatment of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a chemotherapy protocol with more than one drug is generally applied.
In Hodgkin’s disease, a protocol consisting of four different drugs and known as ABVD for short, and a five-drug protocol known as R-CHOP in a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be shown as examples of frequently used chemotherapy.
The number of times chemotherapy is given also depends on the type of lymphoma and its extent in the body.
