Hodgkin Lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s Disease, is tumor in the lymph glands or tissues and organs with lymphatic tissue, for instance the spleen. The presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell signifies that the immune system is compromised already with cancer. This disease affects two waves of people, one wave is composed of ages 15 to 35 years old and recently a second wave for those over 55 years old.
The symptoms of Hodgkins Lymphoma are as follows, swelling in the neck, usually on one side. This is because of the nodes on the neck and shoulders are often affected. Another is the glands in the armpits and groin are swollen. Constant fever, night sweats, and excessive tiredness. Further more, the symptoms also include loss of appetite, stomach pain, anemia and weight loss. People with this illness may survive without treatment for years however undergoing treatment will help cure the disease.
The causes of Hodgkins Lymphoma remain mysterious; however, researchers formed a list of risk factors to refer the probability of somebody having this ailment. The risk issues include male, concerning ages between 15 to 35 and over 55 years of age. If there is a history of this disease in the family, there’s a huge chance that the offspring or relatives may develop it also. If one has a history of infectious mononucleosis, or infection of the Epstein-Barr virus, then that person is also susceptible. There are a lot of other risk factors that includes a weakened immune system by HIV infection or presence of AIDS, prolonged use of human growth hormones, and exposure to harmful exotoxins like Agent Orange.
If there are any indication of the symptoms of Hodgkins Lymphoma, an individual must consult a doctor right away. The physician may request the patient to get medical examinations or tests in the hospital. The enlarged lymph glands and bone marrow sample will be taken to get examined and check for proper diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed early, the patient may opt to undergo radiotherapy. For advance cases there are other forms of treatment, like drugs, immunotherapy and vaccine therapy.
Due to today’s technology and medical advancements, there is a huge possibility that Hodgkins Lymphoma that where diagnosed progressively can be treated to full recovery. There is hope for the prognosis continues to improve for Hodgkins Lymphoma.