Lymphoma: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Lymphoma is a malignancy that starts in the immune system’s infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. These cells exist within the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland, bone marrow, and several other body tissues.

Types

Lymphoma is primarily of two types, namely:

• Hodgkin lymphoma (also called Hodgkin disease).
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Different lymphocyte cells are involved in non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma. Lymphoma grows at different rates and responds to therapy in diverse ways.

Lymphoma is a very curable cancer, and the prognosis varies depending on the kind and stage of the cancer. Lymphoma is often misunderstood as leukemia, but the truth is they’re two distinct types of cancer. Each of these malignancies develops from a distinct type of cell. Lymphoma develops from infection-fighting cells, while leukemia begins in the bone marrow’s blood-forming cells.

Causes

In most cases of lymphoma, scientists are not even able to predict the actual causes. Some of the common risk factors for being prone to lymphoma include:

• People in their 60s or older are easily diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• People between the ages of 15 and 40 or older than 55 are susceptible to Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Men are more likely to be affected by lymphoma than women, although most subtypes are more common in women.
• Having a weakened immune system because of HIV/AIDS, an organ transplant, or a condition present from birth.
• Have an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, lupus, or celiac disease.
• Received radiation therapy for cancer treatment.
• After being infected by viruses like Epstein-Barr, hepatitis C, or human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1)
• Having a close relative who has lymphoma.
• If you were ever exposed to benzene or chemicals that kill bugs and weeds.

Symptoms

Some of the warning signs that shouldn’t be avoided.

• Swollen glands, often in the neck, armpit, or groin, are usually painless.
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Itching

Since most of these symptoms can be warning signs of other illnesses, it is advised to consult your doctor to make sure you have lymphoma.

Risk Factors

Some factors may raise the risk of developing lymphoma. Having one or more risk factors does not always mean a person will get the disease, but it may raise the possibility.

Age can play an important role. Some types of lymphoma are more common in older adults, while others may affect young adults or children.

A family history of lymphoma may increase risk. People with a parent, sibling, or close relative who had lymphoma may have a higher chance of developing it.

A weakened immune system may also increase the risk. This may happen in people with HIV, autoimmune diseases, or those taking medicines after an organ transplant.

Certain infections are linked to lymphoma. These include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), hepatitis C, and other viral or bacterial infections.

Exposure to chemicals or radiation may increase the risk in some people. Long-term contact with certain pesticides, industrial chemicals, or high radiation levels may be harmful.

Lifestyle factors such as excess body weight may also play a role. However, more research is still needed to fully understand this link.

Diagnosis

Before getting into the process of testing you, the doctor will want to know the following things.

• How have you been feeling recently?
• What were the first changes you noticed?
• Are you experiencing any pain? If so, where?
• How has your appetite been?
• Have you noticed any recent weight loss?
• Do you often feel weak or fatigued?
• Are you currently undergoing any medication or treatment?
• Can you share details of any past health issues and treatments?
• What is your family’s medical history?

The doctor will examine your body and look for signs such as enlarged lymph nodes. This does not particularly mean you have cancer. This is a common cause of many infections unrelated to cancer.

Your doctor may conduct a lymph node biopsy to detect the presence of cancer cells. To perform this procedure, the doctor will either remove an entire lymph node, a portion of it, or use a needle to extract a small tissue sample from the affected node.

There are a few other ways to diagnose lymphoma, too. Some of these are:

• Bone marrow aspiration or biopsy – Your doctor may use a needle to collect fluid or tissue from your bone marrow.
• Chest X-ray – Using low doses of radiation, images of the inside of your heart will be taken.
• MRI – With powerful magnets and radio waves, a technician will make pictures of organs and structures in your body.
• PET scan – This imaging test uses radioactive substances to find cancer cells in your body.
• Molecular test – This test helps your doctor determine the type of lymphoma by identifying changes in genes, proteins, and other substances within the cancer cells.
• Blood tests – These check the number of specific cells, levels of other substances, or evidence of infection in your blood.

Treatment

The treatment solely depends on the type of lymphoma and the stage at which it is present. The primary treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma are:

• Chemotherapy kills cancer cells using drugs.
• Radiation therapy destroys cancer cells using higher radiation.
• Immunotherapy makes your body’s immune system capable of fighting cancer cells.
• Targeted therapy targets the aspects of lymphoma cells to restrict their growth.

The primary treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma are:

• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Radiation therapy

If none of these treatments proves efficient, your doctor will advise you to undergo a stem cell transplant. At first, you will be given a high dosage of chemotherapy. This treatment will kill all the cancer cells and destroy the stem cells. After chemotherapy, you will be going through a stem cell transplant.

Stem cell transplant is of two types that can be performed:

• An autologous transplant is a type of stem cell transplant that uses your stem cells.
• In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, healthy stem cells are taken from a donor and used for treatment.

Healing After Treatment: Essential Self-Care Tips

There might be many side effects after treating lymphoma. Consult your doctor about how to relieve symptoms. Ask them about a change in your diet and exercises to follow after treatment. If you are unsure about what foods to consume, ask your dietitian. Activities such as walking and swimming will help overcome fatigue during treatment times.

Frequently Asked Questions