Patients Discovering the Disease: Signs and Symptoms of Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a form of cancer that affects a certain type of cell as apposed to an organ or tissue. This means that the signs and symptoms are very hard to spot unless you specifically known what to look for. The cells that are affected are the lymphocyte cells of the immune system and as such the first visible signs of lymphoma are associated with the lymphatic system, or more exactly the lymph glands.
A person with early stage lymphoma probably won't suffer from any symptoms except swollen lymph glands and until the mass of cancerous cells within the glands grows to a significant size even the swelling can't be felt.
The lymph glands that are commonly affected by lymphoma and which can be felt externally are located in the neck (just below the jaw line on either side of the throat), the armpit area and in the groin. Often people don't even notice they have swelling present because it is very rarely painful or uncomfortable. Even if they do feel some degree of swelling, it is generally dismissed as harmless because of the lack of pain. Obviously not every case of lymph gland swelling is caused by cancer however it is important that you consult a doctor should you discover any signs of swelling.
Every case of lymphoma will grow at a slightly different rate and slow growing lymphoma can remain confined to the lymph glands for over a year. This means that a slow growing lymphoma can be in an advanced stage by the time it is diagnosed and this will then require more intensive treatment over a longer period of time.
Fast growing or aggressive lymphoma on the other hand quickly moves from the lymph glands and settles in secondary sites around the body, in particular the liver and bone marrow. This movement causes a number of systemic symptoms which are easily noticed by the sufferer.
Common systemic symptoms include fever, night sweats, abdominal distension, unexplained weight loss and occasionally anemia i.e. tiredness, chronic fatigue and pale skin. Again it needs to be said that while these symptoms are associated with lymphoma they are not indicative of the condition and they are often caused by less severe and easily treatable illnesses.
If you experience these symptoms or painless swelling of the lymph glands then you should consult a doctor. He/she will be able to use your medical history and that of your close blood family to decide whether you are at risk of lymphoma. If the doctor feels there is a chance your symptoms are due to cancer then he/she will order a series of tests that will either confirm the diagnosis or they will provide an alternative diagnosis, both of which can often be treated.
Lymphoma needs to be caught early to have the best chance of total cure and long term survival and so vigilance with regards to lymph gland swelling and the lymphoma symptoms mentioned above should always be present, especially if you have a known family history of the disease.