Hodgkins Lymphoma
What Is It?
Lymphoma means a cancer of the lymphatic system. There are two main types of lymphoma:Hodgkin's lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
Most lymphomas are NHL. Only about 1 in 5 are Hodgkin's lymphoma. The cells of Hodgkin's lymphoma have a particular appearance under the microscope. These cells are called Reed Sternberg cells which are a type of white blood cell called a B lymphocyte, which has become cancerous. B lymphocytes normally make antibodies to help fight infections.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is one or more painless swellings in the:
Neck
Armpit
Groin
These swellings are enlarged lymph nodes. About 7 out of every 10 people (70%)
diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma have a swollen lymph node in their neck.
Other general symptoms include:
Heavy sweating – especially at night
Temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause (often overnight)
Losing a lot of weight (more than one tenth of your total weight)
Itching, which may be worse after drinking alcohol
Cough or breathlessness
Treatment
The treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease) is often very successful and many people are cured. How much treatment you need depends on the stage of your disease.The main types of treatment are:
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Steroids
High dose treatment with bone marrow or stem cell transplant