Lymphoma Non Hodgkin

Question: How is non Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed? Where are most of the tumors found? Just wondering. Where is the lymphoma found in most cases. Is it in like random places of the body?

Answer: The only way to diagnose lymphoma is through a biopsy of the enlarged lymph nodes. The lymph nodes can be picked up by a physical examination if they are in the neck or under armpits as they are visible there. Other times they can be picked up in a CT or PET scan. In most cases lymphoma is caught through enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin, as they are visible to the patient and so the patient goes to the doctor to find out what has caused them. This doesn't mean that they cannot effect other parts of the body. We have lymph nodes all over and any one of them could be effected. For myself, it was the lymph nodes in my abdomen that were effected and they were picked up by a CT scan.

Question: Lymphoma Non Hodgkin's Cancer and Personal help needed.? by Lynn S Member since: November 23, 2007 Total points: 369 (Level 2) I just received news that my 60+ year old brother-in-law has Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in stage III or 2 1/2B-3B stage, whatever that means. He apparently went to the doctors for a colonoscopy per my sister's request and the doctor found 3 polyps, removed them and did a catsacan finding ??Polyps throughout his organs??? Cancer spread into his lymphnods and organs throughout his body. If you read a previous question and answers under my question section, you will find out more about my situation. I haven't talked to my sister who is 47 yrs. old since the beginning of August due to finally getting up the nerve to walk away and leave her volital behavior for the 1st time in my 49 years of life. It's a looong story which you can read in previous ?'s I've asked in regarding to my situation. To make a long story short, she called every family member including my parents, lied about what happened blaming me for what she actually did not to mention lied about my childhood, etc., turning the family against me. The only person in my own family she talks to or actually will talk to her is my 23 yr. old daughter. My parents email her telling her the news of my brother-in-law. My sister called her crying hysterically. No one has contacted me at all to tell me anything. My daughter was told there is no cure and that it has spread all over his body. My sister was never able to bear children so she's extremely, extremely devastated. She cried to my daughter that this was her biggest fear. Losing her husband, being alone, not having children of her own to be with her as she grew older. My parents are having a house built in Arizona close to her which won't be done until April. My sister told my daughter that if her husband passes away before our parents move down to Arizona in April, she'll have no one. My daughter called me crying saying she's TORN!? She has tried to get me to reconcile with my sister and parents for the past 6 months meaning she wants me to apologize for the falling out even though I was not responsible for the arguement. She said it doesn't matter. I should apologize and be the better person to make peace in the family especially now that my sister is going through the cancer with her husband. She said again she is so torn because Auntie has no children if he dies while I have 3 children. He is much older than my sister and she chose not to adopt or have invetro fertilization. My ?s are: How serious is this type of cancer? Is it treatable? How long do patients have to live if it's supposedly in their organs and lymphnods? He hasn't had a 2nd opinion should he get one? Could he pass within a month, 2 months, a year, or what? Are there any organic, natural alternatives to treatment? What is the success rate? Can you survive if the cancer is in the lymphnods and organs? Sorry for the questions and questionable information about his health, my sister and my situation, and stupidity. It's hard to know anything when my parents won't return my emails and say I'm not allowed to contact them until I'm ready to apologize to my sister. Until then, they say I no longer have a mother and a father. It's hard because my daughter seems to be slowly distancing herself with me because she feels sorry for my sister. I do too but it's been 49 years of drama, arguements, manipulation, verbal, emotional, and physical abuse not to mention dishonesty. I feel so bad for my sister and brother-in-law and what they're going through, but if they wanted me to know anything, they or the family would have contacted me themselves. It's hard to know what the truth is when you get 2nd and 3rd persons information. Please know I'm sincere with my concerns and questions. Any information you can give me to give to put my mind at ease would be greatly apreciated My daughter FINALLY forwarded the email my parents sent her about my brother-in-law's cancer. It's called Follicular Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer). I'm doing research on it so I can hopefully understand it better. I did send him a card and my husband did as well. Since my parents have disowned me becuz I won't apologize to my sister (which my counselor told me I've been a victim of Emotional Blackmail all my life...) they have not contacted me and refuse to have anything to do with me. I will send a card to my sister just letting her know my thoughts and prayers are with her, but that's as far as it will go for me. She knows the truth and so do I. I am focusing only on her husband right now as it is his health and well being we should all be concerned about. Again, this is not about her but about his health.Thanks to those who have responded to my question. If you have anything more to say about this cancer and him having tumors on several organs in his body please let me know.

Answer: I don't know whether or not I can put your mind at ease, but I can perhaps help you to become a bit more informed. To explain the staging- lymphoma is staged as I,II, III, or IV. Stage I means that the cancer is confined to one lymph node in the body. Stage II means that it has spread from the original lymph node, but that the lymph nodes to which it spreads are on the same side of the diaphragm. Stage III means that it has spread to the other side of the diaphragm (ie it has moved from the abdomen to the chest or the chest to the abdomen). Stage IV means it has spread to other organs in the body. If your brother-in-law indeed has stage II or III, that means that it has not yet spread to other organs. However, based on your description of there being cancer "all around his body," that would certainly be stage IV. The notation of "B" simply means that (as opposed to "a" which may be asymptomatic), he has a number of symptoms such as fever, weight loss, sweating, that are characteristic of lymphoma. Please know that EVERY lymphoma is treatable and people have gone into remission with every type of lymphoma. Therefore, there is no reason to lose hope. The best hope for killing most kinds of cancer cells is chemotherapy. Unfortunately, there are no known natural cures for cancer, but there may be some natural substances that help with pain or some of the symptoms of cancer. I would ask an oncologist who is familiar with alternative therapies some more about that. Chemotherapy and radiation are terribly difficult procedures, but unfortunately they are the only things that can kill most kinds of lymphomas(except for a rare few that have a specific mutation that respond well to specific targeted drugs). Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the average prognosis of his lymphoma without knowing more specifics about it. The prognosis depends largely on 1) The stage (which you seem to know) 2) What kind of cell it effects- Lymphomas can be grouped into 2. One group consists of lymphomas that originate with a problem in a white blood cell (ie B cell, T cell or neutrophil). Another group of lymphomas are metastases (break off pieces) from another organ (such as the colon) and need not be blood cells, but can be cancerous tissue from any organ. 3) What the specific mutation in that cell is- some are much more curable then others. This refers to what kind of change happened in the genes of the cancerous cell that keeps dividing. For example, a cell can have a mutation in which pieces chromosome 9 and 22 trade places or pieces of chromosomes 15 and 17 trade places. The doctor does tests to determine what the mutation is and some have better prognoses than others. Depending on what happens with your sister, perhaps a bunch of family members can meet with the doctor so you can all learn about the cancer, and what choices and difficulties the family will face, and how everyone can help. It sounds like your sister is not sharing her difficulties. Unfortunately, many people often suffer the burden of cancer, whether as a patient or family member, very isolated or alone. If it is the case (unclear from your post) that this is a case of cancer that STARTED in the colon (meaning those polyps were not benign) and spread to many other organs in the body, the prognosis could (but not necesserily) mean that he will live less than 6 months, as a spread of cancer to many organs is very serious and difficult to cure. However, even if your brother in law's prognosis is not good, remember that hope doesn't only refer to hope for a cure. It can also mean hope for a peaceful "rest of their life", for lack of pain, the ability to spend one's last days at home, hope for a caring family, and the knowledge that their family will be able to recover from any possible devastation. Perhaps, through your daughter, you can express to your sister that, even if you haven't been on the best of terms, you are happy to help in any way you can. I would perhaps just send a card stating as such. You can even send some food, clothing, or hire a maid service from afar, if that is financially feasible. Any expression of a desire to be there for her I'm sure will be appreciated. I wish you and your family all the best!

Question: How hopeful can a patient be with stage IV non hodgkin lymphoma onchemotherapy ? The patient himself a reknowned hematologist has disseminated disease with diabetes, hypertension and had undergone CABG and has renal insufficiency and is 60 years old

Answer: My husband was an otherwise healthy 23-year old when he was diagnosed with stage IV Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma with bone marrow involvement. He went through many rounds of chemotherapy (I lost count after the 8th round and the second combination of drugs) and eventually an autologous stem cell transplant. He's been NHLymphoma-free ever since the transplant in June of 2001. Every person handles cancer and the treatment of differently. Existing conditions may or may not play a part in how well the body receives the treatment, whether it includes surgery, chemotherapy or surgery -- or a combination thereof. As the patient himself is a renowned hematologist, he should have a better idea on how the human body responds to cancer and its treatment better than anyone here. I hope the treatment is successful.

Question: whats the difference between Hodgkin Lymphoma and non Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Answer: Hodgkin lymphoma was named for Thomas Hodgkin, an English physician who described several cases of the disease in 1832. Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. The prefix "lymph-" indicates their origin in the malignant change of a lymphocyte and the suffix "-oma" is derived from the Greek suffix denoting "tumor." The usual presentation is enlarged lymph nodes found on either or both sides the neck, axillae, and the groins. Some lymph nodes can also be found in the mediastinum (thorax) and abdomen. Both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are lymphomas, a type of cancer that originates in a subset of white blood cells called lymphocytes — an important component of your immune system. The main difference is in the specific lymphocyte each involves. A doctor can tell the difference between Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's by examining the cancer cells under a microscope. If in examining the cells, the doctor detects the presence of a specific type of abnormal cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell, the lymphoma is classified as Hodgkin's. If the Reed-Sternberg cell is not present, the lymphoma is classified as non-Hodgkin's. The distinction is important because the treatment for each type can be very different.

Question: What happens to you when you have Non Hodgkin lymphoma cancer? Are there any chance?

Answer: I lost my husband to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma last year. As you know it attacks the whole immune system. Tumors will grow through out ones system. It is treatable but not Curable.. Life span is 5-6 years or so they say. A lot of treatments out there and new ones every day.Remember to keep the faith alive. In our case it was chemotherapy over the years though sometimes radiation is also used. Different types of chemo . It all depends on what stage you are in and whether it's aggressive or non-aggressive. The idea is to shrink the tumors. Your Doctor will only tell you as much as you want to know. I think it's the patient choice. My husband wanted to know all he could. My husband had been told 4months and lasted 6 years. Our family Dr. told us when a Dr. gives a time it usually means they have no idea. I believe cancer affects the whole family not just the one who has it . If you are the caregiver always remember to make time for you . Hodgkin's is curable non-Hodgkin's No.People can get these two mixed up.The NON fools one, did me until it was explained. We were very lucky to have a Dr. who specialized in Non-Hodgkin lymphoid. I wish you all the luck as you embark on this difficult journey.

Question: I'm doing a cancer research project on B-cell lymphoma(Non-Hodgkin's) and I want to know the following:? 1.The name of the gene(s) implicated in this disease 2.In which chromosome are the genes found? 3.What is the function of the gene?

Answer: I always thought the purpose of a research project was for you to research the literature yourself and find out for yourself - not to ask others to do the work for you!

Question: How long can someone diagnosed with non hodgkin's lymphoma live for? If it's grade 2 and they were diagnosed at age 54

Answer: The medical literature or your doctor will be able to provide you with statistics but you are not a number you are unique so no one for certain can give you an accurate answer. In my opinion you can live until very old age as long you are enjoying your life. I have been fighting a high malignant cancer for 8 years(head and neck in 2001 and lung in 2006) and I did refuse(not allways) to loose hope and give up the fight. Wish you well on your fight to be happy and live..

Question: What treatments are used for Stage 4 Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma? Stage 4 only, please, maybe you know someone who had, has it or you are a medical professional? Do they usually do chemotherapy at this stage? Also, if they use chemo, how often is it required? This is for someone at high risk of death with many symptoms.

Answer: Yueyeyoona, Almost all people with indolent lymphomas have stage III or IV disease. They do not always require treatment initially, but they are monitored for evidence of lymphoma progression, which could signal a need for therapy, sometimes years after the initial diagnosis. There is no evidence that early treatment extends survival in people with indolent lymphomas at more advanced stages. If the disease begins to progress, there are many treatment choices. It is not known which treatment option is best initially, so the choice of treatment is influenced by the extent of disease and the person's symptoms. Treatment may include therapy with monoclonal antibodies (rituximab – rituxan) alone or chemotherapy with or without rituximab. These antibodies are given intravenously. Sometimes, the monoclonal antibodies are modified so that they can carry radioactive particles or toxic chemicals directly to the cancer cells in different parts of the body. Treatment usually produces a remission. The average length of remission ranges from 2 years to more than 5 years. When rituximab – rituxan - is combined with chemotherapy, the results of remission are better. The roles of maintenance chemotherapy (chemotherapy given after the initial treatment to help prevent relapse) and combined chemotherapy plus radioimmunotherapy are being studied. A decision about treatment after a relapse (in which lymphoma cells reappear) depends on the extent of the disease and the symptoms. If non-Hodgkin lymphoma relapses, a type of radiation therapy called radioimmunotherapy is an option. After an initial relapse, remissions tend to become shorter. For people with aggressive stage III or IV non-Hodgkin lymphomas, combinations of chemotherapy drugs are given promptly, often together with rituximab. Many potentially effective combinations of chemotherapy drugs are available. Combinations of chemotherapy drugs are often given names created by using single letters from each of the drugs that are included. For example, one of the oldest and still one of the most commonly used combinations is known as CHOP ( cyclophosphamide – lyophilized cytoxan , [hydroxy] doxorubicin – Doxil, vincristine [Oncovin], and prednisone). Rituximab has been shown to improve the outcome of CHOP and is now routinely added to the combination (R-CHOP). More than 70% of people with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas at an advanced stage are cured with R-CHOP chemotherapy. Newer combinations of drugs are being studied. Chemotherapy, which often causes different types of blood cells to decrease in number, is sometimes better tolerated if special proteins (called growth factors) are also given to stimulate growth and development of blood cells. ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM - AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. - MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED. It is extremely important to obtain an accurate diagnosis before trying to find a cure. Many diseases and conditions share common symptoms. The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. I add a link with details of this subject http://www.omnimedicalsearch.com/ conditions-diseases/nonhodgkins- lymphoma-stages.html Hope this helps matador 89

Question: Is non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the lungs curable?

Answer: I'm not positive about cureable, but it is at least treatable. Here is the site with the best info: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls Best wishes

Question: non-hodgkin lymphoma-life expectancy? I am 81,is diagnosed non-hodgkin lymphoma a year ago. Doctor said it is stage 1 and my life expectancy is 3-5 years. blood test and visit doctor every 3 month. but until now no any treatment is taken. Is it earlier treatment (chemo or drug) can extend the life expectancy? all I need is 7-10 years(Please God). Thank you.

Answer: Sounds like you have a low-grade lymphoma (commonly follicular lymphoma, or maybe small lymphocytic), and many times treatment is not necessary right away (sometimes for years). Treatment does extend survival, and is usually required intermittently to keep things under control after the disease progresses. Stage 1 lymphoma suggests very localized disease. Ask your doctor about radiation, as occasionally this otherwise incurable disease can be cured when very localized. Also, seek a second opinion for more information about options if needed. Blessings