Hodgkins Lymphoma Cancer

One from cancer conditions in these days is Hodgkins lymphoma disease.

by cnicholsonpath under CC BY

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One trip to the hospital teaches a person a lot. What we notice while we are going through some medical procedures is that medical sciences have improved a lot, especially in past two decades. We now have treatments for the disease which were considered fatal just twenty years back.

As we dig into the origin of diseases, some of them present themselves with a further bad news because doctor’s end up finding out that the disease is not as simple as it looks. It has its claws in a very basic level of human existence.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer symptoms, causes and facts

There are many diseases, which are caused by viruses and bacteria, medical sciences have worked hard to produce medicine against such disease, but then again there are diseases and their origin is either not known, or the origin is too complicated for medicine to work.

For example, genetic disorders are not caused by any foreign agent, but they are just inherited and such process cannot be stopped.

Same is the case with any autoimmune disease. Cancer falls in the same class. Nobody knows how it starts, what doctors know for sure is that there are genetic tendencies, plus there are age limits too after which a person can most likely get cancer.

There are many different types of cancer. The types are differentiated by the fact that what type of cell has abnormally started to divide and in which area. The type of cancer we are going to discus here is called Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was formerly known as Hodgkin’s disease.

This disease was first researched and explained by Thomas Hodgkin therefore the name of the disease.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is cancer

Lymphoma stands for cancer in the lymphatic system. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a specific type since there are different types of lymphomas. But first let’s get to know lymphatic system.

Lymphatic system is very much like the circulatory system on our body. Instead of blood; lymph runs in the lymphatic veins. Lymph is the fluid that escapes from the blood due to blood pressure. The fluid escapes through the capillary walls because they are very thin.

Lymph contains nutrients for the cells which are not right beside a capillary. Lymph also collects the waste from the cells and dumps it back into the blood which is cleaned out by the kidneys.

Lymph is collected by lymphatic vessels due to negative pressure. Lymph vessels also pass through lymph nodes which contain white blood cells that kill infectious bacteria. One of the major organs of the lymphatic system is spleen, but lymph is found everywhere, even in the bones.

Causes of Hodgkins lymphoma

Hodgkins Lymphoma is caused when a specific type of white blood cell, known as lymphocyte starts abnormally dividing.

The bad news about Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is that since it happens in the circulatory system, the abnormal cells can easily migrate from nodule to nodule and disturb the functionality of major organs such as liver, lungs and even brain.

What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma symptoms?

The symptoms of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma start from unexplained itchiness on the skin, loss of appetite and then the loss of weight due to unexplained reasons. Major symptoms includes swelling and enlargement of either spleen or in some cases the liver.

But rarely is it found that both organs can enlarge as well. Such symptoms can be seen in other types of lymphomas as well, but one major symptom that points in the direction of Hodgkin’s disease is painless swelling of the lymph nodes.

Biopsies are done to diagnose the problem. Biopsy of enlarged lymph node and bone marrow is done, plus blood is tested for increased number of leucocytes.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma cure rate in 2012

Latest Hodgkin’s lymphoma survival rates:

The Hodgkins Lymphoma is controlled by radio therapies and chemotherapies. Radiotherapy is used if the cancerous cells are contained in one organ, but chemotherapy is used if it spreads over a larger area.