The Lowdown on Lymphoma

third most common

Lymphoma - What Is It?

Lymphoma is cancer of the body's lymphatic tissues, which include the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils and bone marrow. There are two types of lymphoma.

Hodgkin's Disease - One of the first symptoms is a painless enlargement of the lymph nodes (known as swollen glands) in the neck, above the collarbone, in the armpit or in the groin. Other symptoms like night [kwlink]sweats[/kwlink] and itching are common.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - This type affects the white blood cells, which protect your body against infection. They grow and multiply out of control in the lymph nodes, which can become swollen. Since non-Hodgkin's lymphoma grows slowly, it often doesn't cause any symptoms for a long time so it's important to visit your doctor for regular physical check-ups.

Lymphoma - Treatment

Lymphoma is treated by staging (the process of finding out if the cancer has spread). There are four stages of lymphoma, ranging from Stage I (the cancer involves only one area of lymph nodes) to Stage IV (the cancer has spread to other parts of the body). Treatment usually involves radiation or chemotherapy, or both. But, intensive treatment causes side effects like anemia, hair loss, nausea and vomiting.

Lymphoma - Did U Know?

About 1,700 peeps under the age of 20 are diagnosed with lymphoma each year in the US.

The majority of children with either Hodgkin's or Non-Hodgkin's are cured.

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