Lymphoma- A Closer look

On this World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD), held on September 15 every year, lets understand lymphoma a bit closely.

What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. Mostly located in the neck, armpits and groin, the lymph nodes are basically small and kidney bean in shape. We have nearly 600 of them in our body!

What is Cancer?

Cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells forming tumor.

What are the Risk Factors?

Aging, Immune suppression, Chronic Infection, Environmental Carcinogens (nitrates, fertilizers)

What are the signs and symptoms of lymphoma?

Symptoms of Lymphoma are usually over-looked since they are non-specific and hence, early detection becomes a problem. Common early symptoms of lymphoma include:

• Enlarged lymph nodes (Painless persistent lump in neck and armpit)
• Chronic fatigue
• Unexplained or persistent fever
• Drenching night sweats
• Low blood count
• Unexplained weight loss

How Common is it?

• 4% increase in incidence per year
• Lifetime risk of development of lymphoma is 1 in 50
• Number of new cases are nearly 20 out of 100,000 per year
• It constitutes 6% of all childhood cancers

How is it treated ?

Treatment for lymphoma depends upon the stage at which the cancer is detected. Hence, early diagnosis is the first step towards treating cancer. Treatment options include-

Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy.

Awareness is better than overlooking... Early diagnosis is better than rigorous treatments.. bringing us back to prevention is better than cure!!