Though it's believed my dad died of lung cancer that had spread to the rest of his body (he was a non-smoker by the way), he was initially diagnosed with Lymphoma. I spent the days following his diagnosis furiously googling Lymphoma, look for a prognosis, and more importantly, hope. I learned a lot about Lymphoma in those few days, though knowledge didn't help in my case, but it might in yours. There are two types on Lymphoma -- Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's. I'm going to talk about Hodgkin's, since Kristina covered a form on non-Hodgkin's a little while ago.
Hodgkin's disease is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. When cancerous cells in your lymphatic system grow and spread, the body's ability to fight infection is compromised severely. Hodgkin's disease is fairy rare, much more so than non-Hodgkin's, and affects less than 1 in every 25,000 people. It's most commonly found in young adults between 15 and 35, and in adults over 55. It typically affects more men than women, and is also common in HIV patients. Symptoms include:
- Painless swelling of lymph nodes (usually in neck, armpits and groin)
- Chills, fever and night sweats
- Unintended weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Itchy skin
The disease is usually treated with radiation, chemotherapy and sometimes bone marrow transplants. The prognosis is good -- if treated properly, around 70% of patients with widespread (stage III or IV) Hodgkin's will be considered cured, and that number jumps to about 90% success rate in those with stage I or II.
For more info:
The Mayo Clinic
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
