Lymphoma Symptoms & Signs

Lymphomais a cancer of the Lymphatic System, and it can occur when an error occurs in the way a lymphocyte is produced, resulting in an abnormal cell.

(Lymphocytes are a kind of white blood cell that assists the body in fighting infections and diseases in a very efficient way)

Cancerous Lymphocytes can grow in many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood, or other organs.

Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer and the third most common childhood cancer.

Lymphoma Symptoms - Hodgkin's Disease

Common Lymphoma symptoms (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) include:

Ø     swelling of the lymph nodes (usually painless),

Ø     fever,

Ø     night sweats,

Ø     unexplained weight loss, and/or,

Ø     lack of energy.

Coughing, chest discomfort, and/or shortness of breath may also be a lymphoma symptom or sign of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, especially if it is present in the chest.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma usually does not cause any pain, especially in the early stages of development.

A rare symptom is pain at the tumor site after drinking alcohol. About 5% of patients may experience this type of pain  is usually a characteristic symptom of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Risk factors of developing HL:

Ø     Genetics / Family History of HL – this seems to be true even though no hereditary pattern has been firmly established at this time.

Ø     Exposure to various environmental carcinogens, toxins, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and/or solvents.

Ø     Exposure to various viruses and bacteria, including Epstein-Barr, human or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Lymphoma Symptoms - Non Hodgkin's Disease

The most common symptoms of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) include:

Ø     chills,

Ø     swelling of the lymph nodes (usually painless, and usually in the neck),

Ø     fever,

Ø     night sweats,

Ø     unexplained weight loss,

Ø     lack of energy, and/or,

Ø     itching.

Please Note: All the above symptoms may be caused by a range of conditions, and their presence does NOT necessarily mean that you have NH or HL.  In fact, most people who have these symptoms will not have Lymphoma at all.  However, anyone with several or more of these symptoms should seek immediate medical advice, especially if the symptoms are persistent.

Risk factors of developing NHL:

Ø     Genetics / Family History of NHL – this seems to be true even though no hereditary pattern has been firmly established at this time.

Ø     Affected with autoimmune disease.

Ø     Received an organ transplant.

Ø     Exposure to various environmental carcinogens, toxins, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and/or solvents.

Ø     Exposure to various viruses and bacteria, including Epstein-Barr, human T-lymphotropic virus type 1, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis C, or certain bacteria, such as H-pylori.

If you have one or more of the above risk factors, it does not mean that you will get Lymphoma.  Most people affected by one or more of the above risk factors never develop the disease.  In addition, many people who are diagnosed with the disease have no identifiable risk factors at all.

 Lots more articles on Lymphoma Symptoms and Signs 

including Stages of Lymphoma, diagnosis and treatments     

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