The main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Both types involve the cancer of organs whose function is to protect against disease and infections. There are several tests required to make the diagnosis, including blood work, biopsies, CT scan and x-rays. Common symptoms include fever, night sweats and weight loss.
What is Lymphoma?
The word lymphoma refers to cancer of the bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and liver, all part of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for fighting infections and disease. There are many types of lymphoma, but the main types are called Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Carol Portlock, M.D., attending physician of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals." Several tests are involved in making the diagnosis. Additional tests can be needed, depending upon the test results or the symptoms.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma primarily affects young adults, writes Michael Sabel, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan in "Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery." There are four subtypes of this cancer; the particular subtype that a person has must be determined by a pathologist. Someone with Hodgkin's lymphoma will usually have a large, painless lymph node in the lower neck or around the clavicle bone in the shoulder. Some people may also have night sweats, fever, itching and weight loss.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Unlike Hodgkin's lymphoma, which spreads from one lymph node group to another, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma does not spread in any predictable way. People with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma will have a large, painless lymph node but many times by the time they see a physician, they may also have a tumor in the pelvis, liver, skin, intestines or bone marrow. There are 15 subtypes of this disease, according to Charles Linker, M.D., director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program in "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment." In any subtype, people can have night sweats, fever, itching and weight loss.
Weight Loss
When someone with Hodgkin's lymphoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has what a physician calls the B symptoms, this means they have night sweats that are so bad they have to change their clothes, they have a fever higher than 38.5 C and have lost at least 10 percent of their weight over a six-month period, as explained in "The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics" by Michael Naughton, M.D. of the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. The B symptoms, which include weight loss as a result of lymphoma, not dieting, mean a person has a worse prognosis than if he did not have B symptoms.
References
- "Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery"; Gerard Doherty, M.D.; 2010
- "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2011"; Stephen McPhee, M.D., Maxine Papadakis, M.D.; 2011
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Lymphomas
- "The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics"; Gopa Green, M.D., Ian Harris, M.D., Grace Lin, M.D., Kyle Moylan, M.D.; 2004
Member Comments