Hodgkin's+Lymphoma

media type="custom" key="12694438" media type="youtube" key="-nwepQaFxQo" height="315" width="560"
 * Hodgkin’s Disease **
 * Facts**
 * Hodgkin's disease is a type of lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system)
 * Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (Reed Sternberg cell)
 * Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (abnormal cell- “popcorn cell” which is treated differently)
 * Most Hodgkin's lymphoma occurs when an infection-fighting cell called a B cell develops a mutation in its DNA
 * Most common symptom is a painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin
 * Diagnosed when abnormal tissue is detected by a pathologist after a biopsy of an enlarged lymph node
 * Common treatment options are radiation therapy or chemotherapy
 * Patients have an increased risk of developing a different type of cancer later in life, especially leukemia


 * Statistics**
 * Estimated that 8,830 men and women will be diagnosed and 1,300 will die from Hodgkin Lymphoma per year
 * (2004-2008) median age at diagnosis is 38
 * 12.3% under age 20
 * 31.5% between age 20 and 34
 * 15.8% between 35 and 44
 * 12.5% between 45 and 54
 * Overall 5-year relative survival (2001-2007) rate was 83.9%
 * Very curable disease
 * Based on rates from 2006-2008, 0.23% of men and women born today will be diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in their lifetime

Doctors are not sure what exactly to attribute the disease to but recommend a healthy lifestyle. Certain risk factors would make one more prone to Hodgkin disease- people should take cautions against these factors:
 * Risk Factors**
 * Certain viruses- not a contagious disease, but having HIV or Epstein-Barr virus may increase the risk of getting Hodgkin lymphoma
 * Weakened immune system- from inherited condition or drugs being used post organ transplant
 * Age- most common among teens and adults aged 15 to 35 years and adults aged 55 years and older
 * Family history


 * Symptoms**
 * Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarms, and groin (not painful) [[image:http://www.encognitive.com/files/images/survival-rate-hodgkins-lymphoma.jpg width="344" height="264" align="right"]]
 * Increased sensitivity towards alcohol consumption
 * Pain in lymph nodes after drinking
 * Unattributed weight loss
 * Lasting fever
 * Soaking night sweats
 * Itchy/irritated skin
 * Chest pain, coughing and trouble breathing
 * Lasting weakness and tiredness


 * Symptoms may not be due to cancer, but if they persist longer than two weeks, see a doctor for a diagnosis


 * Diagnosis**
 * Physical Exam- doctors check for swollen lymph nodes and swollen spleen or liver
 * Blood tests- check white blood cell count and for other signs of cancer
 * Imaging tests- X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)
 * Surgery to remove swollen lymph nodes- examined in a lab to see if Reed Sternberg cells are present
 * Bone marrow biopsy- a small amount of bone marrow, blood and bone are removed through a needle for laboratory screening purposes


 * Treatment**
 * Chemotherapy- uses chemicals to kill lymphoma cells
 * Combined with radiation therapy in people with early-stage classical type Hodgkin's lymphoma
 * In advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy may be used alone or combined with radiation therapy
 * Radiation- uses high energy beams to kill cancer cells
 * Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, radiation therapy can be used alone, but it is often used after chemotherapy
 * People with early-stage lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma typically undergo radiation therapy alone
 * Stem Cell Transplant- treatment to replace your diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells that help you grow new bone marrow
 * May be an option if Hodgkin's lymphoma returns despite treatment


 * Recourses**

[] [] []