Lymphoma: Another Silent Killer

The human body is a complicated yet marvelous conglomeration of physical, emotional, and spiritual aspect. Among the three, the physical aspect is the most critical and the most perilous element in the concept of one's well being. That's why many people regard health as a very risky aspect of life, that when taken for granted, can be life-threatening.

Today, there are many diseases of the body that remains undocumented or lack of more information regarding the subject matter. This, in turn, result to an increase in morbidity rate because many people does not even know they have them. One good example is lymphoma.

The term lymphoma refers to a chief swelling of the lymphatic tissue brought about by the cancerous overgrowth of one of the lymphatic cells. That's why most refer lymphoma as one kind of cancer.

Lymphoma generally starts from the lymph nodes where most lymphatic tissues can be found. Like cancer cells, they generate and multiply, affecting other lymphatic cells and eventually shows a definite tendency for other lymph nodes to be affected. Thus, the most common clinical characteristic of lymphoma is lymph node enlargement.

However, lymphatic tissues are not generally confined in the lymph nodes. There are, in fact, numerous lymph follicles along the walls of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, in the spleen, liver, bone marrow, lungs, and skin. In this case, all of the mentioned organs are also susceptible to malignant lymphomas. Lymphoma is said to be malignant when its symptoms tend to become progressively worse, which, in most cases, result to death.

Generally, malignant lymphoma can be classified as either Hodgkin's or Non-Hodgkin's disease.

Hodgkin's disease, like other lymphoma, originates in the lymphatic system and evolves predominantly in the lymph nodes. Clinical surveys show that Hodgkin's disease may occur at all ages, and in both sexes equally.

A Hodgkin's disease basically spreads from its original location, usually a single node, to the next lymph node through the lymphatic channels. In turn, it now becomes the site of tumor growth.

This classification of lymphoma has four stages to consider. This is very important when treating lymphoma because the treatment of a Hodgkin's patient is relative to the extent and activity of the disease.

Basically, lymphoma is limited to a single node and some nearby structures during stage one. On stage two, the disease already involves more than a single node but is still confined to one side of the diaphragm only.

Stage three suggests the presence of multiple nodes in both the upper and lower diaphragm. Though, at this stage it is not yet extended beyond the lymph node or to the other parts of the body such as the spleen. On stage four, the disease has already reached the bone marrow, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract, or the liver. It is in stage four that a patient is said to be on a very critical condition.

On the other hand, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma disease affects the blood forming tissue of the body. It resembles the clinical manifestations of an acute leukemia, in which its origin and principal location is in the bone marrow.

In both cases of lymphoma, the disease is usually treated with the use of radiotherapy. Use of corticosteroids was also reported to be equally effective during the treatment.

Treating patients with lymphoma basically requires supportive and protective measures including the correction of anemia. It is also a must to employ control of infection to patients with lymphoma because they are very vulnerable to such conditions. This can be done through chemotherapy and other secondary measures.

Hydration and nutrition are equally vital and must be absolutely furnished to patients with lymphoma. It is because patients suffering from the disease usually lose their appetite completely. This may result to more complications of the disease if taken for granted.

However, it doesn't mean that a person with lymphoma have no higher chances of recovery. In fact, many patients with the non-Hodgkin's type of lymphoma can be cured, with more chances of getting back to shape as compared to those who have Hodgkin's disease.

Though, in reality, it's still God's will that shall prevail. So if, together with your physical aspect, you get spiritually sick, chances are you are most likely in the losing end.