What Causes Lymphoma? Non-Hodgkin lymphoma becomes more common as people get older. Unlike most cancers, rates of Hodgkin lymphoma are highest among teens and young adults (ages 15 to 39 years) and again among older adults (ages 75 years or older).
People between the ages of 15 and 40 and people older than 55 are more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma. Gender. In general, men are slightly more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma than women, although the nodular sclerosis subtype is more common in women (see the Introduction).
The disease is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in teens between the ages of 15 and 19, accounting for 11% of all cancer cases in this age group. Hodgkin lymphoma is also common in young adults, particularly those who are in their 20s. It is also common in adults older than 55. It is rare in children under age 5.
Lymphoma is cancer that starts in the lymph nodes. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lymph nodes in the armpits it does not become lymphoma. The cancer cells that have spread to the lymph nodes are still breast cancer cells.
Common symptoms of having lymphoma include swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, in your armpits or your groin. This is often but not always painless and often could be associated with fevers, or unexplained weight loss, or drenching night sweats, sometimes chills, persistent fatigue.
Causes of lymphoma
Exposure to radiation and certain types of chemicals can put some people at higher risk. Benzene and some agricultural chemicals have been implicated; people exposed in the workplace, who can be at highest risk, should follow occupational health guidelines to minimise exposure.
Lymphoma affects more than 7300 Australians each year, and is the 6th most common cancer in adult men and women in Australia, but can affect people of all ages including children and babies.
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
For most people, the risk of developing lymphoma is very small. Even if you have risk factors, your chance of developing lymphoma is usually still very small.
If the doctor suspects that lymphoma might be causing your symptoms, they might recommend a biopsy of a swollen lymph node or other affected area. For a biopsy, a small piece of a lymph node or, more often, an entire lymph node is removed for testing in a lab. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a person has NHL.
Lymphomas are considered to be a treatable form of cancer if detected early. The overall 5-year survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is 62%, whereas the 5-year survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is 92% if detected early.
Blood Tests for Lymphoma
Blood tests are essential to accurately diagnosing this complex disease. These tests can show whether you have lymphoma cells or abnormal levels of normal cells: Blood smear: We take a drop of blood and look at it under a microscope.
around 80 out of every 100 people (around 80%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 65 out of every 100 people (around 65%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
For stage I NHL, the 5-year relative survival rate is more than 86%. For stage II the 5-year relative survival rate is 78%, and for stage III it is more than 72%. For stage IV NHL, the 5-year relative survival rate is almost 64%.
And it's actually considered one of the most treatable forms of cancer. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while more common than Hodgkin lymphoma, is still very uncommon and a relatively rare disease overall.
The most common early symptom of lymphoma is one or more swollen lymph nodes, often in the groin, armpit, and side of the neck. Other symptoms may include: fevers, chills, and night sweats. unexplained weight loss, 10% loss of body weight or more over 6 months.
Cancer-related fatigue is exhaustion that's at a much higher level than would usually be expected – you might feel tired very quickly after doing quite little. It can be physical, emotional or mental exhaustion.
Itching caused by lymphoma can affect: areas of skin near lymph nodes that are affected by lymphoma. patches of skin lymphoma. your lower legs.
Commonly, lymphoma originates in lymph nodes. Infiltration of malignant lymphomatous cells in the organs other than lymph node is termed as extranodal lymphoma. Almost any organ in the body can be affected.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma
This fast-growing lymphoma accounts for about one third of NHL cases. For this lymphoma, it is typical for lymph nodes to double in size every month, and patients often present within a few months of having noted an enlarged lymph node.
Lymph nodes can swell for a variety of reasons and are considered to be enlarged if they are bigger than 1.5 centimeters in diameter, or slightly larger than a pea. Typically, lymph nodes that are enlarged due to lymphoma are much bigger and can grow to be the size of a grape (or larger).
A lymphoma lump will tend to be painless and feel rubbery when touched. Swollen lymph nodes caused by other conditions like the flu can make your lymph nodes swell and feel tender when touched. A lymphoma lump also tends to be movable under the skin versus hard and unmovable.