Early symptoms of lymphoma

Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
Updated on November 03, 2024
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The early symptoms of lymphoma involve the painless enlargement of both superficial and deep lymph nodes, most commonly located in areas such as the neck, armpits, and groin. Of course, lymphoma also presents with systemic symptoms, such as fever, night sweats, weight loss, and skin itching. Since lymphoma commonly occurs in the neck, armpits, and groin, if it develops in other areas, such as the lungs or elsewhere, it may cause respiratory symptoms, including coughing, expectoration, and shortness of breath.

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What to check for malignant lymphoma?

The examination of lymphoma first requires routine blood tests and blood smears. When aggressive lymphoma invades the bone marrow, anemia, decreased white blood cells, and platelets may occur, and lymphoma cells can appear in peripheral blood; therefore, bone marrow smears and biopsies are necessary. Additionally, blood biochemistry is important, as an increase in lactate dehydrogenase is associated with tumor burden and is an indicator of poor prognosis. Furthermore, Hodgkin's lymphoma may involve the central nervous system, so patients with symptoms of central nervous system involvement need to undergo cerebrospinal fluid examination. The most important aspect of lymphoma is the histopathological examination. Based on the histopathological examination, the pathological staging is determined, and genetic rearrangement can also be performed.

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Malignant lymphoma chemotherapy regimen

The chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma, I personally don't think is very painful. Actually, lymphoma treatment nowadays not only includes chemotherapy but also targeted therapy and immunotherapy, so it is not very painful. Moreover, generally speaking, the common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, poor spirit, constipation, or diarrhea. In clinical practice, these symptoms can be controlled by using antiemetic, hepatoprotective, gastric protective, and cardioprotective drugs. Of course, another common side effect of lymphoma chemotherapy is bone marrow suppression, which can cause a decrease in white blood cells and platelets. However, if there is only a mild decrease, we can restore these levels with oral medication to increase white blood cells or injections to increase white blood cells and platelets. If the suppression is very severe, it could potentially be life-threatening. But strictly speaking, more than 95% of patients can tolerate chemotherapy.

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Written by Liu Liang
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Causes of Malignant Lymphoma

The causes of malignant lymphoma are the result of multiple factors. First, it is associated with infections by bacteria or viruses, such as the well-documented chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori, which is closely related to the occurrence of lymphoma associated with the gastric mucosa. Second, immunodeficiency conditions, like in AIDS patients or those who have been taking immunosuppressive drugs for a long period, have a higher likelihood of developing malignant lymphoma compared to the general population. Third, chemical or physical factors, such as environmental carcinogens and electromagnetic radiation, can also lead to malignant lymphoma. Other factors, such as long-term use of certain drugs like phenytoin or pseudoephedrine, and a genetic predisposition, can also be causes of malignant lymphoma.

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Oncology
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How many years do people generally live with lymphoma?

Lymphoma is categorized into two main types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The specific pathological classification of lymphoma is very complex, involving dozens of types. Differences in the pathological type and stage of the disease can significantly impact the prognosis, including variations in patient sensitivity to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and consequently, different survival periods. Patients with highly aggressive lymphomas typically have a poorer prognosis, while those with indolent lymphomas usually have a prolonged disease course and slow progression, leading to a longer survival period, sometimes spanning decades. Thus, the survival period varies greatly depending on the pathological type.

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Is lymphoma contagious?

Current research has not found lymphoma to have a very clear genetic predisposition or familial clustering. This is entirely different from familial breast cancer and colon cancer. Although there are many causes of lymphoma, and it is likely related to certain bacterial and viral infections, the mechanism of tumor occurrence is very complex. Infection is only one of the external factors, and currently, there is no evidence that lymphoma has tendencies for contagion or outbreaks. Therefore, as a relative of a lymphoma patient, the risk of developing lymphoma is not significantly higher than that of the general population, so there is no need for excessive worry.