Hodgkin Lymphoma
Hodgkin Disease, now known as Hodgkin Lymphoma, is a type of lymphoma, a cancer that affects lymphocyte. Lymphocytes are cells in the immune system. The cancer cells in Hodgkin Lymphoma are known as Reed-Sternberg cells. It is believed that Reed-Sternberg cells are a type of cancerous B-cell. As these cancerous B-cells begin dividing and multiplying, they form a tumor. Hodgkin Lymphoma was named after Thomas Hodgkin, the physician that first discovered this disease by studying the preserved specimens of human organs affected by different diseases.
Their is no specific cause to this disease but their are certain risk factors that increase your chance of contracting this disease.
These risk factors include:
Age
Gender: occurs more often in males.
Geography: occurs slightly more often in males than females.
Family history: higher risk if your brothers or sisters have it, ecspecially in twins.
Socioeconomic status: high risk in people with a higher income and educational background.
HIV infection.
People with mononucleosis.
People with reduced immunity, or ability to withstand disease.
People who have had an organ transplant and take drugs that supress the immune system
People with prolonged use of human growth hormone.
Race: occurs more in caucasians.
Hodgkin Lymphoma affects a widespread variety of people. Both children and adults can get this disase but it is most common in two age groups. These age groups are early adulthood (ages 15-40, ecpesically in the 20's) and late adult hood (after age 55).
Hodgkin Lymphoma has four stages. These stages are based on how far the disease has multiplied. In stage I, the cancer is limited to only one lymph node region or single organ. In stage II the cancer is located in two different lymph nodes, but still limited to a section of the body either above or below the diaphragm. Stage III happens when the cancer moves to the lymph nodes both above and below the diaphragm. Cancer may also be in one portion of tissue or an organ near the lymph node in groupes or in the spleen. In the most advanced stage, stage IV, is when cancer cells are in several portions of one or more organs and tissues. Stage IV not only affects the lymph nodes but also other parts of the body; such as the liver, lungs or bones. The survival rate depends on the stages. Stage I: 90% Stage II: 90% Stage III: 80% Stage IV: 65%
Doctors may also use the letters A, B, E, and S to help define the extent of your cancer and the treatment needed. Letter A indicated that you don't have any momentous symptoms as a result of this cacner. Letter B, means that you do have significant symptoms. Letter E, stands for extra nodel, which means that the cancer has spread beyond your lymph nodes. Letter S, disignates that the cancer has spread into the spleen.
Symptoms:
Painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin
Fatigue
Poor appetite
Cough
Trouble breathing
Chest pain
Fever
Drenching night sweats
Weight loss
Itching
If symptoms suggest you have this disease doctors will perform:
Medical history exam
Physical exam- to see whether there is an infection.
If the doctors think that this disease is causing these symptoms they will perform:
Excisional or incisional biopsy:
a.) Most common b.) cutting through the skin to take out an entire lymph node
incisional biopsy- When only a small part of the large tumor is taken out
Needle biopsy
a.) Fine needle aspiration (FNA)- Doctors use a very think needle to take out a small amount of fluid and tiny bits of tissue from the tumor. b.) Core needle biopsy- doctors use a large needle to remove a larger piece of tissue.
Flow cytomety- test that passes cancerous cells under a laser beam to determine whether the cells contain a normal or abnormal amount of DNA, and the relative rate at which a tumor is growing.
MUGA scan- a nuclear medicine test used to evaluate and monitor changes in the function of the heart.
Blood and urine tests.
Lab tests.
Liver function tests- used to measure the amount of substances released into the blood or liver.
When Hodgkin disease is found, more tests will be done to find out the stage of the disease and how far it has spread. These tests are: • blood tests • chest X-ray • scans, such as a CT, MRI, or PET scan • biopsy of your bone marrow • biopsies of the liver or lymph nodes in the abdomen Treatment is based on the stage, type of the disease, age and overall health. Treatment includes: Chemotherapy: drugs are given into a vein or as pills to kill cancer Radiation therapy: high energy x-rays are used to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation, a focused beam of radiation given from a machine outside the body, is also used. Transplants: autologous stem cell transplant and allogeneic stem cell transplant.
After someone is cured from Hodgkin Lymphoma, they are still required to do check-ups in the maintance. Surviors have to:
Keep a record of the treatments they recieved
Get blood tests every five years
have regular screening for heart disease and caner
Practice breast self-examination
Have regular thyroid function check-ups.
Seek medical and psychosocial support for fatigue, depression and other long term effects.
Specific treatment can lead to the development of secondary cancers such as:
Hodgkin Disease, now known as Hodgkin Lymphoma, is a type of lymphoma, a cancer that affects lymphocyte. Lymphocytes are cells in the immune system. The cancer cells in Hodgkin Lymphoma are known as Reed-Sternberg cells. It is believed that Reed-Sternberg cells are a type of cancerous B-cell. As these cancerous B-cells begin dividing and multiplying, they form a tumor. Hodgkin Lymphoma was named after Thomas Hodgkin, the physician that first discovered this disease by studying the preserved specimens of human organs affected by different diseases.
Their is no specific cause to this disease but their are certain risk factors that increase your chance of contracting this disease.
These risk factors include:
Hodgkin Lymphoma affects a widespread variety of people. Both children and adults can get this disase but it is most common in two age groups. These age groups are early adulthood (ages 15-40, ecpesically in the 20's) and late adult hood (after age 55).
Hodgkin Lymphoma has four stages. These stages are based on how far the disease has multiplied. In stage I, the cancer is limited to only one lymph node region or single organ. In stage II the cancer is located in two different lymph nodes, but still limited to a section of the body either above or below the diaphragm. Stage III happens when the cancer moves to the lymph nodes both above and below the diaphragm. Cancer may also be in one portion of tissue or an organ near the lymph node in groupes or in the spleen. In the most advanced stage, stage IV, is when cancer cells are in several portions of one or more organs and tissues. Stage IV not only affects the lymph nodes but also other parts of the body; such as the liver, lungs or bones.
The survival rate depends on the stages.
Stage I: 90%
Stage II: 90%
Stage III: 80%
Stage IV: 65%
Doctors may also use the letters A, B, E, and S to help define the extent of your cancer and the treatment needed. Letter A indicated that you don't have any momentous symptoms as a result of this cacner. Letter B, means that you do have significant symptoms. Letter E, stands for extra nodel, which means that the cancer has spread beyond your lymph nodes. Letter S, disignates that the cancer has spread into the spleen.
Symptoms:
If symptoms suggest you have this disease doctors will perform:
If the doctors think that this disease is causing these symptoms they will perform:
- Excisional or incisional biopsy:
a.) Most commonb.) cutting through the skin to take out an entire lymph node
- incisional biopsy- When only a small part of the large tumor is taken out
- Needle biopsy
a.) Fine needle aspiration (FNA)- Doctors use a very think needle to take out asmall amount of fluid and tiny bits of tissue from the tumor.
b.) Core needle biopsy- doctors use a large needle to remove a larger piece of tissue.
When Hodgkin disease is found, more tests will be done to find out the stage of the disease and how far it has spread. These tests are:
• blood tests
• chest X-ray
• scans, such as a CT, MRI, or PET scan
• biopsy of your bone marrow
• biopsies of the liver or lymph nodes in the abdomen
Treatment is based on the stage, type of the disease, age and overall health.
Treatment includes:
Chemotherapy: drugs are given into a vein or as pills to kill cancer
Radiation therapy: high energy x-rays are used to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation, a focused beam of radiation given from a machine outside the body, is also used.
Transplants: autologous stem cell transplant and allogeneic stem cell transplant.
After someone is cured from Hodgkin Lymphoma, they are still required to do check-ups in the maintance.
Surviors have to:
Specific treatment can lead to the development of secondary cancers such as: