Procedure Description:

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) Treatment

Chemotherapy is a common initial treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It might also be an option if your lymphoma comes back after your initial treatments. For people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy is also used as part of a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant.

Disease Overview:

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

One kind of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which is a component of the immune system that fights germs, is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. White blood cells known as lymphocytes grow improperly in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and can cause growths, or tumors, all throughout the body.

One type of lymphoma that is common is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This category has a large number of subtypes. Among the most prevalent subtypes are follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphoma is the other general group of lymphoma.

Disease Signs and Symptoms:

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma symptoms and indicators could include:

- Inflammatory lymph nodes in your groin, armpits, or neck

Chest pain, coughing, or breathing difficulties 

- Abdominal soreness or swelling

- Continuous exhaustion

- Sweating at night - Fever

- Loss of weight without cause

Disease Causes:

Most of the time, medical professionals are unsure of the cause of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It starts when your body creates an excessive amount of aberrant lymphocytes, a subset of white blood cells.

Lymphocytes typically follow a well-defined life cycle. Your body produces new lymphocytes to replace the old ones that die. Your body continuously produces new lymphocytes while you have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; existing ones do not die. Your lymph nodes enlarge as a result of this overabundance of lymphocytes cramming into them.

A few things that could make non-Hodgkin's lymphoma more likely are: 

- Immune system-suppressive medications. You may be at higher risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma if you take immune-suppressive medications and have received an organ transplant.

- Infection with specific bacteria and viruses. A number of bacterial and viral illnesses seem to raise the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk. Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes ulcers, is one of the bacteria connected to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

- Substances. There are certain chemicals that can raise your risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, like those used to eradicate weeds and insects. 

- Advanced years. Although it can strike at any age, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more likely to do so as people age. Most adults 60 years of age or older have it.

Disease Diagnosis:

It's likely that your physician may inquire about your individual and family medical histories. After that, he or she might order tests and treatments to rule out non-Hodgkin lymphoma, such as:

- physical examination. Your doctor looks for enlarged lymph nodes, such as those in your neck, groin, and underarms, as well as enlarged liver or spleen.

- tests on the blood and urine. Tests on the blood and urine can help rule out infections and other illnesses.

- imaging examinations. In order to search for indications of lymphoma cells elsewhere in your body, your doctor can advise imaging tests. Positron emission tomography (PET), CT, and MRI are a few possible test types.

- Lymph node test. To remove all or a portion of a lymph node for laboratory testing, your doctor might advise a lymph node biopsy procedure.

- If non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is present in your body, a lab analysis of lymph node tissue may be able to identify the kind of the disease.

- test on bone marrow. A bone marrow sample is taken during a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration operation, which entails sticking a needle into your hipbone. To search for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells, the sample is evaluated.

- Spinal tap, or lumbar puncture. Your doctor may suggest a treatment to take some of the spinal cord fluid for testing if there is a possibility that the lymphoma may impact it. A little needle is inserted by the physician into your lower back's spinal canal during a spinal tap.

Disease Treatment:

There are numerous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma therapies available. What kind of lymphoma you have and how aggressive it is will determine the best course of action for you, as will the specific sorts of cells in your tumor. Your doctor also takes your preferences and general health into account.

You may not require treatment right away if your lymphoma seems to be growing slowly (indolently) and is not causing any symptoms or signs. Alternatively, in order to track your condition and determine whether your cancer is progressing, your doctor can advise routine check-ups every few months.

Treatment for your severe non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may be advised by your doctor if it exhibits symptoms. Possible choices could be:

1. The use of chemotherapy

2. Radiation treatment

3. Personalized medication treatment

4. Creating immune cells that combat lymphoma

5. Transplantation of bone marrow

6. Immunotherapy