Hodgkin's lymphoma overview
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of lymphoma first described by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832. Hodgkin's lymphoma is characterized clinically by the orderly spread of disease from one lymph node group to another and by the development of systemic symptoms with advanced disease. Pathologically, the disease is characterized by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. Hodgkin's lymphoma was one of the first cancers to be cured by radiation. Later it was one of the first to be cured by combination chemotherapy. The cure rate is about 93%, making it one of the most curable forms of cancer.
Diagnosis
Physical Examination
Splenomegaly, or enlargement of the spleen, occurs in about 30% of people with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The enlargement, however, is seldom massive. The liver may also be enlarged due to liver involvement in the disease in about 5% of cases.
Laboratory Findings
Blood tests are also performed to assess function of major organs and to assess safety for chemotherapy.
Chest X Ray
The lymph nodes of the chest are often affected and these may be noticed on a chest x-ray.
Other Imaging Findings
Positron emission tomography (PET) is used to detect small deposits that do not show on CT scanning. In some cases aGallium Scan may be used instead of a PET scan.
Other Diagnostic Studies
Hodgkin's lymphoma must be distinguished from non-cancerous causes of lymph node swelling (such as various infections) and from other types of cancer. Definitive diagnosis is by lymph node biopsy (removal of a piece of lymph node tissue for pathological examination).
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Patients with early stage disease (IA or IIA) are effectively treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The choice of treatment depends on the age, sex, bulk and the histological subtype of the disease. Patients with later disease (III, IVA, or IVB) are treated with combination chemotherapy alone. Patients of any stage with a large mass in the chest are usually treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery
Patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma have many treatment options. The selection depends on the stage of the disease. The options are radiation therapy, chemotherapy and high dose chemotherapy and bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Before treatment starts, ask your health care team about possible side effects and how treatment may change your normal activities. Because cancer treatments often damage healthy cells and tissues, side effects are common. Side effect may not be the same for each person, and they may change from one treatment session to the next.
Primary Prevention
Hodgkin's lymphoma is not related with life style, so there is no known risk factors for people to change at present. But more researches are needed to verify.