Hodgkin lymphoma

Some people get a sickness in their body.

This sickness affects small parts of the blood.

It can make bumps grow under the skin. These bumps may be in the neck. They can also be under the arms.

People might feel very tired. They may also have a fever. Some people feel very itchy.

Doctors look at the bumps to help. They look for special cells. These cells are very large.

Doctors use medicine to help people. Many people get better with help. It is good to find it early.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer. It affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.

This sickness is named after Thomas Hodgkin. He was an English doctor. He first described it in 1832.

One sign is swollen lymph nodes. These are small parts of the body. They may feel rubbery. They often grow in the neck or armpits.

People may also feel very tired. They might have a fever or night sweats. Some people lose weight without trying. Itching is another sign.

Doctors find this cancer by looking at cells. They look for Reed-Sternberg cells. These are very large cells. Some people have a type with "popcorn cells."

About half of all cases involve a virus. This is called the Epstein-Barr virus. Doctors use medicine to help. They may use chemotherapy. This is a way to treat cancer with drugs. They may also use radiation. Many people get better if doctors find it early. In the United States, 89% of people survive for five years or more.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the body's immune system. It specifically targets a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes.

These cells help our bodies fight off germs. When this cancer is present, special large cells appear in the lymph nodes. These are called Reed-Sternberg cells.

Finding these specific cells helps doctors confirm the diagnosis. It is important to understand this sickness to help people get better.

This condition works by changing how cells behave in the lymph nodes. The Reed-Sternberg cells are very large and often have two nuclei.

These cells can cause the lymph nodes to swell up. This swelling often happens in the neck, armpits, or groin. Most of the time, these swollen nodes do not feel painful. They may feel rubbery or swollen when a doctor touches them. Some people might also feel itchy or have night sweats.

We know about this disease because of a doctor named Thomas Hodgkin. He was a physician from England. He first described this specific condition in the year 1832. Since then, medical science has learned much more about it. We now know there are two main types of the disease. One is called classic Hodgkin lymphoma. The other is called nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

There are many important facts and numbers regarding this cancer. About half of all cases are linked to the Epstein-Barr virus. In the United States, about 0.2% of people are affected in their lifetime. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 34. In 2015, about 574,000 people globally had this condition. The survival rate is quite high in the United States. About 89% of people survive for five years or longer. For those under age 20, the survival rate is 97%.

Doctors use many tools to treat and manage the disease. They might use chemotherapy, which uses drugs to fight cancer. They may also use radiation therapy or stem-cell transplants.

To find the cancer, doctors use a biopsy to look at lymph nodes. They also use PET scans to see where the cancer is. A PET scan uses a special sugar to make the cancer light up. This helps doctors see small spots that other scans might miss.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. It specifically targets a subgroup of white blood cells known as lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes are essential parts of the immune system that help the body fight infections. When this cancer is present, the lymph nodes often become enlarged. This condition is defined by the presence of unique, large cells called Reed–Sternberg cells. These cells are the primary indicator used by doctors to identify the disease.

The mechanism of Hodgkin lymphoma involves the abnormal growth of these Reed–Sternberg cells. These cells are often multinucleated, meaning they have more than one nucleus.

As they grow, they reside within the lymph nodes and attract other immune cells. This creates a reactive cell infiltrate made of lymphocytes, eosinophils, and plasma cells. This process can cause the lymph nodes to swell and feel rubbery. In some rare cases, people may feel pain in these nodes after consuming alcohol. This specific symptom occurs in only two to three percent of patients.

There are two major types of Hodgkin lymphoma. The first is classical Hodgkin lymphoma, which accounts for about 90% of cases. The second is nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL), which makes up about 10%. NLPHL is distinct because it features special cells called "popcorn cells."

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma can be further divided into four specific subtypes. These include nodular sclerosing, mixed-cellularity, lymphocyte-rich, and lymphocyte-depleted subtypes. Each subtype is categorized by the appearance of the cells and the presence of certain proteins.

Medical history shows that the condition is named after Thomas Hodgkin. He was an English physician who first described the disease in 1832. Since his discovery, scientists have identified many different factors related to the disease. For example, about half of all cases are linked to the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). This virus is often found within the Reed–Sternberg cells themselves. Other risk factors include having HIV/AIDS or a family history of the condition.

The significance of Hodgkin lymphoma is reflected in its global impact and survival rates. In 2015, approximately 574,000 people worldwide had the disease. Of those people, 23,900, or 4.2%, died from it. In the United States, about 0.2% of the population will be affected at some point. Most diagnoses occur in people between the ages of 20 and 34. Fortunately, the survival rate in the United States is 89% for five years or longer. For people under the age of 20, the survival rate is even higher at 97%.

Doctors use several methods to diagnose and stage the disease. A definitive diagnosis requires a lymph node biopsy, where a small piece of tissue is examined under a microscope. Doctors also use Positron emission tomography (PET) scans to find small deposits of cancer. A PET scan uses radiolabeled glucose to make high-metabolism tissues light up on the image. Staging is done using the Ann Arbor classification system to see how much the cancer has spread. This helps doctors determine if the cancer is in one region or has spread to both sides of the diaphragm.

Treatment options depend on how advanced the cancer has become. Common treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem-cell transplantation. While these treatments can lead to a cure, they can also have long-term effects. Radiation and certain chemotherapy drugs may increase the risk of heart, lung, or other cancers later in life. Understanding the specific subtype and stage of the lymphoma is vital for choosing the best path forward.