What is lymphoma? Symptoms, treatment, prognosis, stages

What is lymphoma? This is a type of cancer of the blood. Unfortunately, the number of oncological diseases is now significantly increased. What caused this is not known. For several centuries, scientists around the world have been working to invent cancer drugs. However, until a complete defeat of this disease is obtained only in a small number of patients.

But research does not stand still. Earlier, in the diagnosis of "lymphoma" the prognosis given by the doctors was unhappy. The patients lived no longer than 1-3 years, depending on the individuality of the organism. Now the chances of survival are much greater, many patients have a fairly long remission (about 10 years).

Lymphoma (what is this disease, described in detail below) can affect any organ that is associated with the lymphatic system. This is the spleen responsible for cleansing the blood, tonsils that protect against infection, bone marrow, thymus, etc. The focus of inflammation is able to expand considerably, since practically all internal organs contain lymphatic tissues.

So, let's take a closer look at this disease, its symptoms and methods of diagnosis. Also in this article we will consider some of the most common varieties of lymphomas.

What is lymphoma: a general concept

One of the types of hematological diseases is lymphoma. It is formed in the lymphatic tissue, expressing a characteristic swelling. With such a tumor, white corpuscles mutate and begin to develop rapidly. Lymphocytes become immortal, which leads to their accumulation. They gradually displace all blood cells. This, in turn, affects the work of all internal organs. Ill lymphoma immediately feels lethargic and quickly tired. The first symptoms in such patients may be enlarged lymph nodes, while they are not necessarily painful. During the disease, their different groups are involved:

• Inguinal;
• Cervical;
• Axillary.

Lymphoma, unlike solid tumors, is able not only to metastasize, but also to spread throughout the body, forming several inflammatory foci. This process is carried out on the bloodstreams and tissues of the lymphatic system.

Lymphoma - what is this disease? It's worth noting her cunning. Some of its species are capable of completely asymptomatic in the initial stages, and this leads to a loss of precious time, for which you can almost completely defeat the disease. In medicine, this cancer is divided into two types: non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and lymphogranulomatosis. Below we describe in more detail each of them.

Classification

Malignant lymphomas, however, like other types of cancer tumors, have division at the stage. Such a classification allows doctors to accurately determine the extent of the lesion. Also, this information is the basis for the development of comprehensive treatment, it is from the stage will depend on the methods of control of lymphoma and the prescribed drugs.

Typically, the impact on the tumor at the onset of development is significantly different from those that are used in neglected forms. The first and second stage is considered local, that is, the disease has not yet spread throughout the body, and has a primary tumor focus. The third and fourth are characterized by the formation of metastases and dissemination. They are conventionally called widespread. It is worth noting that the treatment at these stages is rather difficult, and the percentage of patients who enter into long-term remission is very small, so it is recommended not to be delayed with treatment if the diagnosis is "lymphoma". Chemotherapy is the only method of combating cancer in the fourth stage, others are no longer able to give positive results.

The initial stages of the disease are classified by letters:

• A - flow without symptoms.
• In - accompanied by a sharp loss of weight, causeless fever and profuse perspiration, which is manifested at night.

Stages and their description

• The first stage.

This is the beginning of the development of the tumor. As a rule, at this time the disease is expressed by one inflammatory focus, which involves only one area of the lymph nodes. When diagnosing at this stage, sparing treatment is prescribed, which gives a chance for the survival of almost 80% of patients.

• The second stage.

At this stage of development, stage 2 lymphoma can form more than two tumor sites that involve several regions of the lymph nodes, but the disease does not go beyond the chest or abdominal cavity, depending on where the primary tumor was located. At this stage, the tumor is effectively treated.

• The third stage.

At this time there is a rapid development of cancer cells that spread throughout the body. Virtually all lymph nodes are infected, which is expressed by a characteristic swelling. Its size increases depending on the accumulation of affected lymphocytes. Unfortunately, at this stage, stable remission is achieved only in 20% of patients.

• The fourth stage.

Internal organs such as the spleen, heart, kidneys and others are involved in the process. The tumor can spread to the bone marrow, so during the examination it is necessary to take a puncture in order to assess the extent of the lesion. In addition to these complications, the fourth stage is characterized by the formation of metastases. It is almost impossible to achieve remission with this form of the disease.

Pronounced symptoms with lymphoma

After perceiving the above information, it is not difficult to understand what lymphoma is, but now you will need to understand the symptoms that can serve as the first warning bell. At once we pay attention that signs of disease can vary depending on a kind and an arrangement of a tumor.

The first danger is that the initial symptoms are very similar to the common cold. This is a fever of 37 degrees, a headache, an ache in the body, weakness. In this situation, the decisive factor is the time: if the symptoms do not pass within 2-3 weeks, then it is necessary to seek advice from the hematologist.

The very process of determining the tumor is quite complicated. It, unlike other similar diseases, can have the latent form, therefore it is recommended to use a computer tomography.

The most prominent sign of lymphoma is an increase in lymph nodes. As a rule, it is accompanied by painful sensations, discomfort and an increase in temperature. If the tumor develops in the abdominal cavity, then there is often a stool disorder, nausea, vomiting and bloating. In patients aged 40 years, there is swelling of the extremities.

So, let's single out the most common symptoms of lymphoma:

• Increased lymph nodes;
• fever;
• Sweating;
• fatigue;
• headache;
• fast fatiguability;
• weight loss;
• Itching;
• tonsillitis;
• dyspnea;
• A prolonged cough.

Unfortunately, all these symptoms are typical for other types of diseases, so their presence can not clearly indicate the occurrence of lymphoma. It is advisable to seek qualified help when these signs appear.

Diagnosis: ways to determine lymphoma

What does the concept of "diagnosis of lymphoma" mean? First of all, this is a consultation with a doctor. He conducts an examination and, depending on his results, appoints the necessary tests and subsequent examination. A compulsory condition is the surrender of blood for clinical and biochemical studies. By the ratio of the corresponding cells in the doctor suggests a possible diagnosis. A biopsy is assigned to confirm it. The analysis is taken with the help of a surgical procedure, during which the tissue of the affected lymph node is removed for further study.

At a certain stage of the lymphoma, radiation diagnosis is assigned, which allows to determine the hidden places damaged by the tumor. As a rule, the accuracy of the diagnosis is impossible without the examination of the bone marrow, this allows to determine how much the disease has spread. There are additional methods of examination, such as immunophenotyping, molecular genetic and cytogenetic research.

Treatment of lymphoma

There are different methods of therapy, which are developed depending on the type of tumor, the stage of its development and the general condition of the patient. Unfortunately, practically all drugs used in practice at the present time are a kind of poison that affects not only cancer cells but also vital organs. Consider the methods of treatment depending on the types of the disease.

• Aggressive lymphomas. If this type of tumor is detected, treatment should begin immediately, as it can rapidly spread throughout the body. After confirming the diagnosis, the CHOP program is most often used, combining it with the antibody "Rituximab".
• Highly aggressive lymphomas. At the given kinds hard chemotherapy programs are applied, for example, such as with lymphoblastic leukemia. In this case, the goal of doctors is complete destruction of cancerous tumors, but the percentage of survival is significantly reduced. A positive prognosis can be given only if lymphoma of stage 2 is detected, and on the third and fourth physicians can not guarantee the final result, since it is impossible to assume how the organism reacts to this treatment.
• Indolent lymphomas. Methods of treatment of this type of neoplasm are individual in each case. There are such tumors that do not need treatment. However, it is necessary to be under the constant supervision of the doctor in order to immediately notice the onset of progression. In these cases, electro-radiation therapy (irradiation) is often used. This method allows you to act on the tumor locally, without touching other organs. Unfortunately, lymphoma can not be cured completely, so all the efforts of doctors are aimed at improving the patient's condition.

Lymphoma of the brain

Lymphoma of the brain can be primary and secondary. In the first case, the localization of the focus begins precisely with this site, in the second - the infection spread from the lymph nodes or tissue.

The primary tumor is rare, but almost all people, even infants, are at risk. Such lymphoma has the form of nodules, which eventually spread metastases to soft tissues.

The secondary form of the disease is significantly different from the primary form. Typically, the tumor is one, but it can grow to a very large size. Secondary lymphoma is practically not located with metastasis, this indicator does not exceed 7%.

Lymphoma (prognosis encourages the fight against the disease) is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Severe headache;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Nosebleeds.

In medicine, there were cases when patients with lymphoma of the brain were diagnosed with epilepsy.

It is worth noting that the secondary form can be completely asymptomatic, therefore, with 100% probability of determining this disease is sometimes quite difficult.

The lymphoma of the brain is surgically removed, but no doctor can guarantee a successful end result. The statistics show that only half of patients with this disease received a chance for a long-term remission.

Large cell lymphoma

Large cell lymphomas are of several types:

• Diffuse;
• Mediastinal;
• In-large cell;
• Anaplastic.

The danger of this form is that all normal bone marrow cells are replaced by abnormal cells that have lost the ability to regenerate and die. As a result, erythrocyte and platelet counts are rapidly declining, and this leads to oxygen starvation and severe internal bleeding. Large cell lymphoma has the ability to rapidly spread throughout the body. First involved lymph nodes, thyroid and salivary glands, brain tissue and bones. After that, the process extends to the liver, kidneys and lungs, and this leads to a rapid deterioration of the patient's well-being. Rapid progression begins in the third stage. The only method of treatment can be only chemotherapy.

Diffuse large cell lymphoma

Diffuse lymphoma is an aggressive sight. Its peculiarity is the disruption of the normal functioning of cells, which are responsible for the search for infected or foreign bodies. Due to the fact that this type of lymphoma is able to localize in any tissues, carefully masking, lymphocytes and B cells are unable to detect the virus on their own and transmit the signal to the immune system.

It is not difficult to detect diffuse lymphoma. First of all, enlarged lymph nodes are easily palpated when pressed with your fingers. Also during the radiography and ultrasound can freely see the tumor focus.

The symptomatology of this lymphoma is practically no different from other species. This is a slight increase in temperature, a sharp weight loss and during sleep a lot of sweating.

Diffuse large cell lymphoma can develop as an independent disease or as a secondary (result of exposure to other types of cancer). It was noted that with the progression it is rapidly developing, but the treatment responds positively.

Features of the disease

Lymphoma of the blood has been studied thoroughly. It is precisely established that the cause of its occurrence is irradiation with radiation and poisoning with carcinogens. It is not excluded and the probability of hereditary predisposition of patients. And also those at risk are those who abuse alcohol, smokers with experience and those who have chronic hematological diseases.

Recently, blood lymphoma is diagnosed quite often, with both adults and children. If you start a timely treatment, then the probability of recovery is 70%. In the third and fourth stage, a good remission is a remission, which lasts 5-7 years. However, the occurrence of relapses can not be completely ruled out, and their number directly affects the length of life.

What is Hodgkin's lymphoma?

Lymphogranulomatosis was first described in 1832 by a scientist T. Hodgkin. The disease is indiscriminate, in the risk group are people of all ages, but there is a certain tendency: men are sick twice as often as the fair sex. A few decades ago, Hodgkin's lymphoma was considered an incurable disease. At present, thanks to the research of scientists around the world, patients have a chance to survive. However, experience and professionalism of the attending physician play an important role. The main thing is to correctly and timely diagnose the tumor, as well as apply a method of affecting pathologically altered areas. It is worth highlighting the four stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma, the definition of which plays an important role during the choice of treatment methods.

Symptomatology and signs of the disease are similar to other species. Very often accompanied by anemia, a buildup of fluid in the lungs, bleeding. About 30% of patients complain of constant itching and characteristic reddening of the skin.

Treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma

It is possible to suspect pathological changes already during routine preventive examination. If the blood test shows a high number of white blood cells, then it is necessary to continue the examination. It is worth noting that, since the third stage, the level of their concentration is gradually decreasing. Confirmation of the diagnosis includes a comprehensive study, that is, tomography, biopsy, puncture, radiography.

Important: maximum success can be achieved only with the timely diagnosis of a disease such as Hodgkin's lymphoma.

How many patients live with this type of disease? These indicators are quite individual. If treatment is started in the first stages, then there is a high probability of achieving positive results. The fight in the third stage is somewhat complicated, and the chances are 50x50. The most severe case is a neglected form, which is characterized by metastases and several tumor foci.

The main thing - during therapy to achieve a long remission and try to completely exclude the possibility of new relapses. This is one of the most important criteria in the treatment of a disease such as Hodgkin's lymphoma. How many people live with this diagnosis? This will depend a lot on their lifestyle, so it is recommended to adhere to the right daily routine and diet, it is desirable to completely abandon the too active rhythm in favor of a measured.