Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more than five times as common as Hodgkin's lymphoma, which was previously referred to as Hodgkin's disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, the number of cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been on the rise in the U.S. over the past 30 years but so have the number of survivors.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer that originates in your lymphatic system but there are many different subtypes of the disease. These malignant tumors develop from a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. The National Cancer Institute says non-Hodgkin lymphomas can strike at any age. Its telltale signs are often very swollen lymph nodes, fever and weight loss.
What Causes Lymphoma?
The Mayo Clinic says the exact cause of both non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma remains a mystery. However, the stimulation of certain abnormal genes that may be involved in the development and growth of all cancers could also be the culprit in lymphoma.
Treatment Options
Your doctor will take into account the type and stage of your lymphoma and your age when developing a treatment plan. If you seem to have a slow growing lymphoma your doctor may delay any specific treatment and merely observe the cancer for a period of time. Slow growing lymphomas may not require treatment for at least one year.
Chemotherapy & Radiation
If the cancer cells are aggressive, your doctor may prescribe a combination of chemotherapy drugs to be administered orally or by injection. This treatment method is used for later stages of low grade lymphomas as well as moderate and high-grade lymphomas.
Radiation treatment is used in conjunction with chemotherapy on intermediate-grade tumors or to treat specific sites. It can also be the primary course of treatment for early stages of low-grade lymphomas.
Biotherapy & Radioimmunotherapy
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Rituximab (Rituxan) to treat B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. B cells are a type of lymph cell that's a vital part of your immune system's response to unfamiliar intruders. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that assists the immune system in killing cancer cells. Rituximab is often used in combination with chemotherapy.
Since radioimmunoptherapy has potentially serious side effects, the FDA has approved the drugs (ibritumomab (Zevalin) and tositumomab (Bexxar) for use only when other treatment choices have been unsuccessful.
Radioimmunotherapy essentially entails monoclonal antibodies attaching themselves to the cancer cells, while the radiation helps wipe them out. Side effects can include hemorrhaging and potentially fatal infections.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. When lymphoma is present, cells within the system grow abnormally and may travel to other parts of the body. Hodgkin's lymphoma is much less common than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This type of lymphoma is also treatment with a combination of chemotherapy drugs and radiation.
Lymphoma Statistics
The National says there will be nearly 66,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009 and more than 19,000 deaths. That compares to 8,500 new cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma and approximately 1,300 deaths.
Tags: Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer cells, Cancer Institute, Cancer Institute says, cases non-Hodgkin