Symptoms of Lymphoma

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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The symptoms of lymphoma mostly present as painless enlarged superficial lymph nodes, which are common clinical manifestations. Additionally, there may be enlargement of the liver and spleen, with multiple organs throughout the body possibly affected. In advanced stages, patients may experience invasion of the bone marrow. There are also special types of extranodal lymphomas which exhibit specific symptoms. For instance, lymphomas originating in the stomach may present with upper abdominal masses, or symptoms like anemia, weight loss, black stools, and even upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting related to the gastrointestinal tract. If the lymphoma originates in the nasal cavity, known as NK/T-cell lymphoma, symptoms may include tinnitus, nasal congestion, runny nose, and nosebleeds, among others. Some lymphoma patients may also experience fever, generalized weakness, weight loss, collectively referred to as B symptoms.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How is Hodgkin's lymphoma treated?

The treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma is based on various factors including the stage of the disease as well as the general condition of the patient, among other comprehensive considerations. For patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma, commonly referred to as localized Hodgkin's lymphoma, the treatment principle is a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A rational comprehensive treatment can achieve a five-year survival rate of 80% to 90%. For advanced-stage patients, such as those with stage IV Hodgkin's lymphoma, the treatment primarily consists of systemic chemotherapy. Therefore, the choice of a specific treatment plan must also consider a variety of factors based on the patient's overall condition.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Can people with lymphoma eat beef?

The diet for lymphoma patients isn't particularly special; it’s just like the diet of healthy individuals, with no need for specific dietary restrictions. Moreover, there aren't any prohibitions related to "hot-natured" foods as mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine. From a Western medicine perspective, the focus is simply on enhancing the patient's nutrition. This can be achieved by eating smaller, more frequent meals, and ensuring a balanced diet with a good mix of meat and vegetables. There are no special dietary taboos; all foods are permissible, provided one avoids junk food. Therefore, foods like beef and lamb are perfectly acceptable.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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Typical symptoms of lymphoma

Typical symptoms of lymphoma include night sweats, fever, and weight loss. This fever often occurs in the afternoon, characterized as a cyclical fever that lasts for several days with irregular patterns. There are fever-free intervals ranging from a few days to several weeks, almost a nonspecific symptom but not commonly seen. Fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss of more than 10% within six months, or even emaciation, are considered B symptoms and are associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, skin itching is also not uncommon in late-stage patients.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What department should lymphoma go to?

Lymphoma can be treated in the departments of hematology or oncology, where chemotherapy for lymphoma can be conducted by both. In our hospital, radiotherapy is performed in the oncology department, not by the hematology department, which only provides chemotherapy. If lymphoma has not been confirmed and there is only superficial lymph node enlargement clinically, then examinations such as ultrasound or PADCT suggest the possibility of lymphoma. In such cases, patients can visit the general surgery department for a lymph node biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. After confirmation, the patient can register in either the hematology or oncology department for further treatment.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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Is lymphoma hereditary?

Lymphoma is generally not hereditary, as it is not a genetic disease. However, I must mention that most neoplastic diseases do have some hereditary factors to some extent. The reason for this is that the cause of lymphoma is currently unclear, and it may be related to genetic mutations, which raises the issue of heredity. Another point is that heredity often refers to transmission among direct relatives. This means there could be a problem in that you might share similar environments and lifestyles, including diet. If there are factors in your diet or living environment that could trigger lymphoma, and you are both exposed to these factors, then your probability of developing lymphoma could indeed be higher than in patients without a family history, leading to such a concern.