Cancer of the Lymphatic System
Any cancer that affects the lymphatic system is termed a lymphoma however there are multiple areas of the lymphatic system and any can become cancerous. The type of lymphoma that an individual has depends to a large extent on which area of the lymphatic system is primarily affected. Similarly the chances of cure and survival also depend on where the cancerous cells are located and if they are able to spread to other areas of the body.
Simply put the lymphatic system consists of:
- The lymph nodes which are found in various places around the body.
- Lymphocyte cells, bone marrow of the long bones and the thymus.
- The spleen.
- The tonsils and adenoids.
- Lymph.
The lymphocytes are individual free cells that are of two main types - B lymphocytes that are produced in the bone marrow of the long bones and T cells that are produced by the thymus. Both types are cells of the immune system and when they become cancerous they begin to divide in an uncontrollable manner so that the blood stream becomes swamped with them. This obviously disrupts the dynamics of the blood and the other blood cells, such as the red blood cells begin to suffer and this causes some of the common symptoms associated with the disease. The immune response also suffers and the lymphoma patient finds that they are much more prone to infections than normal.
The spleen is a small organ but with regards to the blood stream it is an important organ. Its main function is to regulate the number of each cell type that circulates in the blood stream and so when the spleen is attacked by cancerous cells the number of blood cells becomes unbalanced and old cells are no longer destroyed to make way for fresh new cells. If left untreated, this imbalance can seriously affect the workings of the entire body.
The tonsils and the adenoids are classed as secondary organs and they are very rarely affected by lymphoma cells. Similarly the lymph is simply the fluid that transports the lymphocyte cells around the body to other sites and doesn't itself become cancerous. Lymphocytes can also be carried in the blood stream however the blood is not considered a part of the lymphatic system.
When the lymphocytes are affected they can often divide profusely and spread to multiple secondary sites and so lymphocytic lymphoma is classed as one of the most aggressive and thus serious forms of lymphoma. It is important to diagnose and class lymphoma as early as possible so that the treatment has the best chance of working and you have the best chance of survival.
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