What is lymphoma?
There are two main types of lymphoma — non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin disease. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common and is cancer of certain white blood cells in the immune system, called lymphocytes. Hodgkin disease is a rare cancer of lymph nodes — small lumps of tissue found in the neck, armpits, and groin — which help fight infections and filter foreign substances from the blood. Hodgkin disease is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. These cells are usually a cell that is a large abnormal type of B lymphocyte.
How to Get Diagnosed
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider can diagnose lymphoma with the following:
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- A chest x-ray
- A biopsy
Endoscopic biopsy. An endoscope is a small, flexible tube that can be easily inserted into the body without large cuts (incisions). It allows doctors to see inside the body using a light and video camera. The doctor uses small surgical tools on the endoscope to perform the biopsy.
Surgical biopsy. Requires cutting through the skin to reach the tissue sample. In some cases, only a small sample is removed (incisional biopsy). In others, a lump or tumor is completely removed (excisional biopsy). Surgical biopsies may require special preparation. Follow all instructions from your doctor.
When will I know the results?
You will receive your results from the order physician or surgeon in 4-10 days, depending on the sample and tests.
What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects your body’s immune system. Your immune system is made up of different types of white blood cells that protect your body from germs and cancer.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer of a type of white blood cell — called a lymphocyte. This cancer causes lymphocytes — like T cells or B cells — to become abnormal and to spread throughout the body.
Symptoms and Causes
Symptoms
The first sign of Hodgkin disease is usually a swollen, but painless, lymph node in the neck, armpits, or groin. Other symptoms include the following:
- Fever and chills
- Soaking night sweats
- Poor appetite (not wanting to eat)
- Itchy skin
- Tiredness
Causes
The exact cause Hodgkin disease is unknown, but these things increase your chance of getting it:
- Being in young or late adulthood
- Being male
- Having Epstein-Barr virus infection
- Having a late-stage HIV infection
- Having a first-degree relative — such as a parent or sibling — with the disease
Diagnosis and Treatments
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider can diagnose non-Hodgkin lymphoma with:
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- A chest x-ray
- A biopsy
Treatments
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be treated in several different ways. Your treatment depends on your specific type of cancer and how much it has spread. Treatment options include:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Targeted therapy, which attacks cancer cells without harming healthy cells
- Biological therapy, which strengthens your immune system and helps improve your body’s ability to fight cancer cells
- Therapy to remove certain proteins from your blood
- Watchful waiting in case you don’t have symptoms and don’t need treatment right away
Prevention
The best way to reduce the risk of getting lymphoma is to keep your immune system strong and avoid exposure to certain infections and substances. You can do this by:
- Preventing an infection with HIV, which mostly spreads by having unprotected sex and sharing dirty needles among injection drug users.Treating HIV with anti-HIV medicines lowers the risk of getting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Staying at a healthy weight and having healthy nutrition. Eating lots of meat and food high in fat may increase your risk.
- Treating stomach ulcers. Most stomach ulcers are caused by bacteria (germs) that have been linked with some lymphomas of the stomach. Treating these ulcers with antibiotics may lower the risk of a stomach lymphoma.
Clinical Trials
The trial will evaluate molecularly targeted cancer drugs and collect data on clinical outcomes to learn about additional uses of these drugs outside of indications already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… Eligible participants include those who have an advanced solid tumor, multiple myeloma, or B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, who are no longer benefitting from standard anti-cancer treatments or for whom no acceptable standard treatment is available.
What is Hodgkin disease?
Symptoms and Causes
Symptoms
The first sign of Hodgkin disease is usually a swollen, but painless, lymph node in the neck, armpits, or groin. Other symptoms include the following:
- Fever and chills
- Soaking night sweats
- Poor appetite (not wanting to eat)
- Itchy skin
- Tiredness
Causes
The exact cause Hodgkin disease is unknown, but these things increase your chance of getting it:
- Being in young or late adulthood
- Being male
- Having Epstein-Barr virus infection
- Having a late-stage HIV infection
- Having a first-degree relative — such as a parent or sibling — with the disease
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider can diagnose Hodgkin disease by
- Doing a physical exam
- Taking your medical history
- Getting your blood tested
- Taking a biopsy, a procedure in which your provider removes some tissue for more testing
Treatments
Treatment for Hodgkin disease often includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or surgery. The exact treatment depends on other things such as how much the cancer has spread in the body, the patient’s signs and symptoms, the type of Hodgkin disease, and the patient’s test results.
Prevention
However, one risk factor — avoiding exposure to HIV — can be changed. HIV mostly spreads by having unprotected sex and sharing dirty needles among injection drug users. Treating HIV with anti-HIV medicines lowers the risk of getting the disease.