The exact cause of lymphoma is still not known however it is thought that some cases have a genetic cause and that prior cases of lymphoma in a family may predispose other members of the family to the disease. Unfortunately this isn?t the case for the majority of individuals and they seem to develop this life-threatening form of cancer out of nowhere. Even people who are supremely fit and have never had a day of serious illness in their life can and do develop lymphoma and indeed many other forms of cancer during their lifetime.
It is important that people diagnosed with lymphoma learn as much about the disease as possible so that everything possible is done to facilitate recovery. Many cancer sufferers say that they feel a lot more positive about their condition when they know what their treatment is aiming to do and the benefits that it will provide in the long term. Being able to understand the specialist when they are talking to you will really help you to keep a grip on your condition and recognise improvements when they come.
In basic terms lymphomas are a group of diseases which affect the lymphocyte cells of the immune system and cause them to become cancerous. This means they then grow and multiply uncontrollably until eventually they can no longer perform their function within the body i.e. to destroy harmful pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Because the lymphocytes are naturally carried around the body in both the lymphatic system and in the blood, lymphomas can quickly spread around the body and settle in far away tissues such as the bone marrow, spleen and the liver. In the early stages however the cancerous lymphocytes tend to congregate in the lymph nodes and cause painless swelling which, more often than not, goes unnoticed by the sufferer. Swollen lymph glands can also occur as a reaction to infection however and so the detection of swelling should not be taken as lymphoma because in the majority of cases it will simply be due to an easily treatable infection.
Because lymphomas can reside in the lymph glands for a lengthy period of time they regularly avoid detection until they start to spread around the body and cause symptoms which subsequently become noticeable. Many of the symptoms associated which late stage lymphoma can also be attributed to other, less serious diseases and so people that exhibit any of the following symptoms should not self-diagnose lymphoma without seeking medical advice. The common symptoms of late stage lymphoma include:
- Fever and night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
- Abdominal swelling and tenderness in the groin area
In addition it may be that a lymphoma sufferer develops anaemia and this causes such symptoms as pale skin, chronic tiredness, and shortness of breath following mild exertion. Your doctor will be able to perform a number of simple tests to either confirm lymphoma or diagnose a different condition and so you should make an appointment as soon as you can after you first notice any swelling or symptoms.
About the author:
Jeremy Parker is a freelance writer and author with more than 16 years of experience in the medical industry. He is also the owner of several health related websites.
Website: http://www.LymphomaResources.com
