| Lymphoma |
Lymphoma
is a type of cancer that can occur when an error occurs in the way a lymphocyte is
produced, resulting in an abnormal cell. These abnormal cells can accumulate by two
mechanisms: (a) they can duplicate faster than normal cells, or (b) they can live longer
than normal lymphocytes. Like normal lymphocytes, the cancerous lymphocytes can grow in
many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood, or other
organs. There are two main types of cancer of the lymphatic system. One is called
Hodgkin's disease, while the other is called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Cancers that
originate in the lymphatic system (also called the body's immune system) are called
lymphomas. In part, the lymphatic system is composed of lymph nodes, which are small,
spherical clusters of lymphocytes, or white blood cells. In a healthy immune system,
lymphocytes have a normal cycle of life-they are produced regularly, and they die off
regularly. In cases of lymphoma, the lymphatic system becomes abnormal, producing
functionless or defective cells at an alarming rate. Lymphomas are classified as either
Hodgkin's or Non-Hodgkin's, and both affect adults and children equally. Prognosis and
treatment are dependent upon the type of cancer and at which stage it is caught. |
What are the
different types of lymphoma?
The two types
of lymphoma are Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
What is
Hodgkins lymphoma?
An extremely
rare form of cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma accounts for just 1 percent of all cancer cases in
the United States. It is triggered by the random, uncontrollable growth of cells in the
lymphatic system. These cells amass, forming unhealthy tumors. Because lymphatic tissue
can be found throughout the body, Hodgkin's disease can originate anywhere. It usually
begins in one lymph node or a group of lymph nodes and then spreads throughout the body,
but its causes are not known.
What is
non-Hodgkins lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkins
lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, the body's immune system. In the immune
systems of people with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes emerge and divide
uncontrollably and at an alarming rate, overcrowding the lymph nodes and impairing their
functions. This type of cancer accounts for about 5 percent of all cancer cases in the
United States and can spread to anywhere in the body, including the bone marrow, liver,
spleen, or other organs.
What is
aplastic anemia?
Aplastic anemia is a very serious and rare condition in which the bone marrow stops
producing enough red and white blood cells to keep the body healthy, resulting in an
increased risk of infection and uncontrollable bleeding. The disease can develop in
patients of any age and is treatable by medication, bone marrow transplants, and blood
transfusions. Another form of the disease, called secondary aplastic anemia, may develop
when bone marrow is injured by chemotherapy, cancer, toxic exposure, or in some cases,
pregnancy.
What is
myelodysplastic syndrome?
Myelodysplastic
syndrome is a disease in which the bone marrow produces new blood cells, but those cells
are dysfunctional and insufficiently developed. Several or all types of cells are affected
in cases of myelodysplastic syndrome, whereas only one type is affected in instances of
leukemia. It is important to note that while myelodysplastic syndromes are not cancer, in
rare cases, they may lead to it. Treatment options include platelet or red blood cell
transfusions, bone marrow transplants, and various medications.
What is
acute myeloid leukemia?
Acute Myeloid
Leukemia (AML), one of the four major types of leukemia is a malignant cancer caused by
damage to the DNA of developing cells in the bone marrow. The disease is marked by: 1)the
overabundant, uncontrolled growth of dysfunctional cells in the bone marrow and 2)the
deficiency of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells, caused by ceased
production of normal bone marrow cells.
The decrease in healthy red blood cells often also causes anemia in many patients, while
the drop in functional white blood cells and platelets impairs the body's ability to fight
infection.
What are the
causes of acute myeloid leukemia?
AML is an
acquired disease, not a genetic or contagious one. Although not all of its causes not
known the following are believed to cause AML:
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Exposure to high levels of radiation
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Benzene - if you have transported benzene, gasoline, or worked in the
petroleum or petro-chemical industries
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Chemotherapy (in cases wherein patients are battling other cancers, such as ovarian
cancer)
People with Down Syndrome, Fanconi anemia, and other genetic disorders face a higher risk
of developing this type of leukemia, which accounts for approximately 15 percent of all
childhood leukemia cases.
What are the
treatments for acute myeloid leukemia?
For optimal
results, it is recommended that those diagnosed with AML seek treatment as soon after
diagnosis as possible. Because there is no cure for leukemia or any other type of cancer,
emphasis is instead placed on bringing about remission, in which there is no evidence of
cell overproduction in the marrow.
Patients are
usually initially treated with chemotherapy an individualized combination and sequence of
at least two drugs. Chemotherapy essentially poisons cancerous cells, but it often damages
healthy cells in the process. As a result, many patients find that they are further
weakened, lose their hair, and are much more susceptible to infection.
In some cases, radiation therapy is used to kill localized leukemia cells. On other
occasions, a spinal tap is performed; spinal fluid is removed through a needle and
replaced with a fluid containing cancer-fighting drugs.
What is
chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Chronic
lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and lymph
system. It is most common among adults over age 60. Leukemia <index.html> patients
have an excessive number of white blood cells called lymphocytes-cells usually responsible
for fighting infections. However, the abnormal lymphocytes of a leukemia patient cannot
prevent infection as effectively as healthy white blood cells can. In addition, because
they appear in large numbers in the blood, the abnormal white blood cells lower production
of red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to the body, and
platelets, which are responsible for blood clotting. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the
excess number of white blood cells is not usually due to overproduction but to the fact
that the affected lymphocytes have an abnormally long life span.
What are the
causes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Chronic
lymphocytic leukemia does appear to have a hereditary component, because family members of
leukemia patients are three times more likely to develop the disease. Also, CLL is far
more common in people over sixty, so age appears to be a factor in its development. In
addition, many types of leukemia have been linked to benzene exposure. If you have
transported benzene, gasoline, or worked in the petrolium or petro-chemical industries,
click here <http://www.benzeneattorneys.com> to learn your legal rights.
What are the
symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
In its early
stages, CLL may not present recognizable symptoms. As the disease progresses, the lymph
nodes, spleen, or liver may swell. In addition, people with leukemia may experience
persistent fatigue and small cuts or injuries may bleed excessively. During later stages
of the disease, the number of red blood cells and platelets in the body drops. Other
symptoms include: fever, headache, bruising easily, frequent infection, pain, and weight
loss.
What are the
treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Unlike acute
forms of leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia is not usually curable. Patients may not
need treatment until symptoms appear. The goals of treatment then are to bring about a
period of remission and keep the disease in check. Treatment for CLL may include:
-
Chemotherapy -- Chemotherapy uses one or more drugs to kill leukemia cells in the body.
Chemotherapy for CLL may be administered orally, intravenously, through a catheter, or by
injection directly into the cerebrospinal fluid.
-
Biological
therapy/ Immunotherapy - uses antibodies known as biological response modifiers (most often
interferon) to boost the body's natural immune system. Interferon can inhibit cancer cell
division, thereby slowing the growth of tumors.
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Radiation
therapy - may be used to destroy leukemia cells or to shrink enlarged lymph nodes.
Powerful rays of energy may be directed at specific areas of the body where many leukemia
cells are or radiation may be used over the whole body. The latter is often used prior to
bone marrow transplantation.
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Bone marrow
transplantation/ Stem cell transplantation - Bone marrow transplantation replaces the
marrow damaged by treatment with healthy marrow. The donor marrow may come from the
patient's own body (autologous transplantation) if it is extracted and saved prior to
treatment. It may also come from a donor (allogeneic transplantation).
Some patients
may also need to have their spleen removed if it is enlarged. Patients may also need help
with pain and side effects of treatment. Treatment for symptoms and side effects of CLL
and other cancers is sometimes referred to as system management or palliative care.
What is
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, the body's immune system. In part, the
lymphatic system is composed of lymph nodes, which are small, spherical clusters of
lymphocytes, or white blood cells. In a healthy immune system, lymphocytes have a normal
cycle of life-they are produced regularly and die off regularly. But in the immune systems
of people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes emerge and divide
uncontrollably and at an alarming rate, overcrowding the lymph nodes and impairing their
functions.
This type of cancer accounts for about 5 percent of all cancer cases in the United States
and can spread to anywhere in the body, including the bone marrow, liver, spleen, or other
organs.
What are the
causes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Researchers are
not sure what causes Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but many believe that it is fueled by the
activation of faulty (or injured) DNA found in the body's B lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are
classified as either B or T cells, depending on their origins. Those produced in the bone
marrow are called B cells; those derived from the thymus are labeled T cells. B cells
cultivate plasma cells, which produce antibodies intended to abrogate foreign attackers,
while T cells kill invaders directly. Roughly 85 percent of non-Hodgkin's cancers
originate in B lymphocytes; T cells are to blame for the remaining 15 percent.
What are the
symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma is usually signaled by tender, swollen lymph nodes in the groin, neck, or armpit
and less frequently, in the elbow, throat, and ears. A person with the disease may also
experience fevers, excessive sweating (usually at night), weight loss or gain, fatigue,
loss of appetite, or an enlarged spleen. Less often, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma originates
somewhere other than the lymph nodes, such as in the skin, a bone, or a lung. In such
cases, symptoms may be localized-chest pain, skin masses, coughs, bone pain, or rashes are
the norm. But typically, swollen lymph nodes are the only sign of the disease.
It is important to note that most enlarged lymph nodes are attributed to infection, not
cancer. Further testing-such as a biopsy-for cancer may be performed only if no signs of
infection are present.
What are the
treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?
The way in
which lymphoma is treated depends on the patient's age, health, and stage of disease. More
than one type of treatment is often administered. Options include:
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Chemotherapy
- In chemotherapy, a personalized combination of drugs is either injected or
swallowed to fight rapid cancer cell growth. The amount of drugs or doses is determined by
the grade of lymphoma-usually one drug is used to treat low-grade lymphoma, and multiple
drugs are used for intermediate- or high-grade lymphoma.
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Radiation
- High doses of radiation are administered to shrink cancerous cells and tumors.
This type of treatment is usually reserved for low-grade, early-stage lymphoma and is
sometimes used in conjunction with chemotherapy.
-
Stem Cell
Transplantation - With stem-cell transplantation, healthy stem cells are drawn from the
patient's blood or marrow and frozen; after chemotherapy is administered, the healthy stem
cells are injected back into the patient's body. Such treatment is typically used to treat
patients who have relapsed after successful treatment of intermediate- to high-grade
lymphomas.
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Observation
- In cases of slow-progressing lymphoma, doctors sometimes observe the patient
and patterns of cancer growth for up to or longer than a year before choosing a treatment
option
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Ibritumomab
(Zevalin) - This drug, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is used
in conjunction with another approved drug, rituximab (Rituxan), to help the immune system
identify and destroy cancer cells. Because of its radioactive format and serious side
effects, Zevalin is administered only to patients for whom all other options have
failed.
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