Symptoms of Lymphoma
All types of cancer can be classed according to many criteria and one such criterion describes how advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis. This is called 'staging' and there are four stages that a cancer can be in; stages 1 to 4. Lymphomas are just like any other cancer and often don't cause any visible symptoms while they are in stages 1 and 2 i.e. the early stages. Thus by the time the lymphoma is diagnosed most cases have already become advanced and may even have spread to other areas of the body.
There are many types of lymphoma however all of them affect the cells of the immune system, and more specifically the lymphocytes, which defend the body against attack from pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. The lymphocytes develop mutations in their DNA so that they grow and divide uncontrollably until eventually they can no longer perform their role as defensive cells. As the cells multiply they congregate in specific areas, most noticeably the lymph glands and these then become swollen. In most cases the first lymph glands to become affected are those of the neck, chest and armpits although the glands of the groin may also show some signs of swelling.
Many people who are later diagnosed with lymphoma attribute their painless gland swelling to other illnesses such as a cold, infection or even stress and so don't consult a doctor in the first instance. This means that the disease is not diagnosed until it reaches the late stages and starts to affect other areas of the body. Swelling in the glands of the neck, armpits and groin is easy to detect even if you aren't a doctor however the glands of the chest need an x-ray to show any signs of swelling.
In addition to the lymph glands, cancerous lymphocytes may also invade the spleen and cause it to swell i.e. a condition known as splenomegaly. Only 30% of lymphoma patients exhibit a swelling of the spleen and sometime the degree of enlargement is so small that it can be missed on x-rays. Unfortunately, in order for splenomegaly to be diagnosed the patient needs to have an x-ray and if there are no outward signs of illness then this is very unlikely to occur. Plus even if spleen swelling is discovered there is nothing to say that it is due to lymphoma as a number of other disease states can cause spleen enlargement.
In most cases of lymphoma, patients only consult a doctor when they begin to experience other symptoms that they wouldn't necessarily associate with cancer. For example, late stage lymphoma can cause an individual to suffer with a fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss and abdominal swelling. In addition, some patients can develop anaemia which presents another list of symptoms e.g. tiredness, pale skin, shortness of breath etc. However it should be remembered that all of these symptoms can be caused by other, less severe, conditions and so a doctor's diagnosis is needed to be sure lymphoma is actually present.