Lymphoma Treatment Dubai
| CMC Lymphoma Treatment Hospital Dubai

Lymphoma is an umbrella term for cancers that start in the lymphatic system. These are tissue organs that produce, store and carry white blood cells that fight infections.  Lymph nodes serve as filters, engulfing and eliminating germs and viruses to stop the spread of infection.

Types of Lymphoma

There are two main types of lymphoma:

• Hodgkin Lymphoma: This type spreads from one group of lymph nodes to another in a systematic way.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Distributes irregularly in the lymphatic system.

The two forms of lymphoma can occur in children, teens, and adults.

Causes of Lymphoma

The exact causes of lymphoma are not yet fully known. However, research has found many links attributed to lymphoma. Examples include:

• People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are substantially more likely to acquire lymphoma.
• Lymphoma has also been related to other viruses, including the Epstein-Barr virus and the human T-cell lymphotropic virus external icon.
• Individuals who are frequently exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation are at a high risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Family history of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• According to researchers, some specific ingredients in herbicides and pesticides may be linked with lymphoma, but it’s still not clear how much is needed to raise the risk of developing lymphoma.

Symptoms of Lymphoma

• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Feeling tired
• Weight loss
• Enlarged spleen
• Itchy rash
• Shortness of breath
• Skin itching
• Stomach pain
• Chills

Diagnosis of Lymphoma

If your doctor suspects lymphoma, a biopsy is likely to be done. This will involve removing cells from an enlarged lymph node which will be examined by a hematopathologist to determine if lymphoma cells are present and what cell type they are.

Should the hematopathologist detect lymphoma cells, further testing can be done to identify how far cancer has spread. These tests can include:

• Blood tests to check on white and red blood cell count
• Checking nearby lymph nodes or tissues
• An abdominal ultrasound
• A chest X-ray
• A bone marrow aspiration, which involves extracting a small amount of liquid from the bone marrow and testing it

Treatment of Lymphoma

Treatment of lymphoma involves a multidisciplinary team of medical specialists:

• Oncologists – Treats cancerous tumors
• Pathologists – Helps in treatment planning and determining whether a particular course of treatment is effective
• Hematologists – hTis are medical specialists who focus on problems with immune cells, bone marrow, and blood.

The course of treatment for lymphoma is determined by the type of lymphoma a patient has, the stage of the illness, his/her age, and general health.

To indicate how far the cancerous cells have progressed, doctors will stage a tumor. Unlike stage 4 tumor which has progressed to other organs like the lungs or bone marrow, a stage 1 tumor is restricted to a small number of lymph nodes.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphocytes tumors are also graded on their rate of growth in the following way:

• Low-grade or indolent
• Intermediate or aggressive
• High-grade or highly aggressive

Lymphoma Prognosis

A person’s prognosis after lymphoma diagnosis depends on the stage and the type of lymphoma. There are numerous treatable and largely curable forms of lymphoma.

Additionally, certain lymphoma varieties progress slowly or indolently, because the prognosis is still favorable in the long run despite the lymphoma in this scenario, doctors decide not to treat it.