What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is one of the less common types of cancer and so many people who are diagnosed with the disease know little or nothing about it initially. A patient's doctor will be able to provide details about the disease however it is always good to know the basics - just in case you ever need to know them.

Lymphoma is actually a group of diseases rather than a single condition, all of which affect the lymphocyte cells of the immune system. There are two main categories of lymphoma:

Hodgkin's disease of which there are at least five subtypes.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of which there are more than 25 subtypes.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is understandably more prevalent than Hodgkin's disease however even when the figures are added together the disease is thankfully a lot less common than many other forms of cancer, although the number of diagnosed cases has continually and steadily risen over the last few decades.

Lymphoma generally affects the lymphatic system and many cases of the disease first develop in the lymph glands of the neck, groin and armpit area. As small tumours, or areas of cancerous cells, develop in the small lymph glands the area begins to swell and it is this swelling that is one of the significant initial symptoms of the disease. Both types of lymphoma cause the glands to swell however Hodgkin's disease is faster growing and tends to affect all of the lymph glands in a short amount of time whereas non-Hodgkin's lymphoma grows within a single gland until the time when it begins to break apart and small groups of cancerous cells travel to distant sites around the body where they settle and develop into secondary tumors.

There are a number of common symptoms associated with lymphoma in addition to swollen lymph glands and these include a high grade fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss and occasionally itching that can't be attributed to any other cause. If lymphoma spreads and starts to affect other areas of the body then additional symptoms will be experienced within the newly-cancerous body system e.g. people with lymphoma that spreads to the lungs will have difficulty breathing, a hacking cough and possibly chest pain whereas those with an affected liver will often become anemic and jaundiced over time.

Unfortunately many cases of lymphoma are only diagnosed when other body systems become affected and by this stage it is very difficult to cure the disease and the best most patients can expect is treatment aimed at prolonging life. These treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and even hormone therapy and when the disease is diagnosed early up to 85% of patients survive for more than five years. Unfortunately lymphoma has a nasty habit of returning at a later date and when this happens treatments that worked before may not work again, meaning that new therapy regimens need to be considered.

The causes of lymphoma, as with every other form of cancer, remain unknown however there does seem to be a genetic factor involved in some subtypes and so anybody with a family history of the disease should quickly learn what signs and symptoms to look for. Lymphoma can be a very aggressive disease and it is highly important that cases are diagnosed and treated quickly so that the best possible outcome is achieved.

Find out more cancers including lymphoma when you visit an online medical dictionary. Regardless of what disease you are researching, from lymphoma to fibromyalgia, the internet is terrific place to start reading up.