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Lymphoma is a serious disease of the lymphatic system, generally causing an overproduction of cells inside the body. Lymphoma involves pronounced swelling and inflammation of different lymphatic tissues, primarily affecting the lymph nodes situated at the level of the neck. The disease is caused by a rapid multiplication of cells which eventually accumulate in different regions of the lymphatic system. There are many types of lymphoma, and they are differentiated by the nature of the abnormally multiplying cells. If the disease causes an excessive production of only one type of cells, they are referred to as malignant or cancerous cells.
Although the exact causes of lymphoma haven’t yet been established by medical science, the disease seems to occur on the premises of a weak immune system. Hence, lymphoma has the highest incidence in people with HIV, which have compromised immune systems, increasing their susceptibility to acquiring an extended range of diseases. Particular genetic abnormalities are also considered to contribute to the occurrence and the progression of lymphoma. Lymphoma doesn’t have a hereditary character, and it is believed that the genetic abnormalities characteristic to most people with lymphoma can’t be transmitted from one generation to another. Lymphoma usually generates non-characteristic symptoms and therefore the process of diagnosing the disease can be a challenging task for doctors. However, the symptom common to all patients with lymphoma is swelling of the lymphatic tissues throughout the body.
According to the types of cells involved and the evolution of the cancer, there can be different types of lymphoma. The two main types of lymphoma are: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s Disease, and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The incidence of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the American population has considerably decreased in the last few years and now the disease represents less than 1 percent of all cancers in the United States. At the opposite pole, the number of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases in the United States has rapidly increased in the last decades and in present the disease accounts for more than 4 percent of cancers. Statistics indicate that the prevalence of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma among the American population has doubled since 1970.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma can occur in people of all age groups. However, the disease has the highest incidence in adults with ages between 40 and 60. Some forms of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma predominantly affect children with ages between 5 and 15. Although Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma can occur in both sexes, the disease is more common in the male gender.
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma accounts for around 10.000 annual cases in the United States. The evolution of the disease is unpredictable and some people with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma can experience a rapid aggravation of their symptoms. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is also more common in the male gender and the disease predominantly affects adults with ages between 40 and 70. Children with ages between 5 and 15 can also be affected by the disease. However, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma rarely occurs in very children and infants.
By: Groshan Fabiola
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