Who develops Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a relatively uncommon form of cancer when compared to breast and lung cancer for example, however statistics show its prevalence is definitely on the increase around the world. Virtually anybody can develop lymphoma as it is not known to be age, gender or race specific however researchers have now identified a number of risk factors that can predispose a person to the disease. These risk factors do not mean that an individual will definitely develop lymphoma because while some people at high risk are diagnosed with the cancer others aren't and similarly people who don't seem to be at increased risk go on to develop the disease.
Until an exact cause is found for lymphoma nobody can say with any certainty who will develop it and who won't. It does seem to have a slight genetic factor however and so anybody who has a close relative with the condition is at a higher risk than the general population. All cancers are caused by very specific genetic mutations and having a genetic make-up that is slightly more likely to undergo the lymphoma mutation means that you are at increased risk.
Age also tends to play a part in lymphoma development. This may be because as a person's DNA ages it becomes more prone to random mutations and so the elderly are diagnosed more often than people under the age of 50. Some forms of lymphoma are much more common in specific age groups however the reason for this remains unclear and until an exact cause is discovered it will remain so. Gender is also a slight risk factor because although both males and females develop lymphoma, males are more commonly diagnosed. Scientists believe that this may be related to higher male hormone levels in men and research into this is continuing.
Because lymphoma is a condition that affects the immune system, researchers also believe that exposure to specific viral or bacterial agents in the form of infections may increase the chances of an individual developing lymphoma. These infections include Epstein-Barr virus which lies dormant in a large proportion of the population, HIV and AIDS. In fact any infection that severely affects the cells of the immune system can cause the lymphocyte cells to go awry and this is when genetic mutations can occur. Similarly having an organ transplant or a bone marrow transplant in which the immune system has to be depressed for a significant period of time can cause the cells to undergo undetected mutations which are allowed to divide and grow uncontrollably as soon as the immune system is restored.
It is also thought that a number of hazardous chemicals which are present in large quantities in certain occupations may contribute to the development of DNA mutations. Some older herbicides and pesticides are now known to have been carcinogenic and because lymphoma can take years to develop elderly people who used to use these chemicals during their working life are only now being diagnosed with the disease.
As mentioned earlier there is nothing to say that one individual will develop lymphoma while another won't - to some extent it is the luck of the draw. The risk factors above may contribute to the probability that a person is diagnosed with the condition however they don't guarantee this; anybody and everybody is open to lymphoma, period.