Why non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a unique cancer
News of actors, athletes and reality stars being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is not a rare sight. In fact, over 80,000 adults and children are diagnosed with NHL each year.
NHL is cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. The immune system helps fight infection and other diseases.
Dr. Shams Bufalino, an oncology/hematology physician at Advocate Health Care, shares that NHL is different from other cancers. “NHL encompasses a wide range of subtypes that include both low-grade and high-grade malignancies. NHLs are unique in that some subtypes do not need any therapy at the time of diagnosis while others require very aggressive, multi-agent chemoimmunotherapy.”
Dr. Bufalino shares that the cause of NHL is currently unknown in most cases. However, being an older age, male and having a weakened immune system can increase your risk.
Early signs of NHL:
- Lumps or bumps in the neck, armpit, or groin, also known as lymph node enlargement
- Drenching night sweats
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fevers
- Decreased immunity, which reduces the body’s ability to fight off infections
“In general, the cancer’s prognosis is based on lymphoma subtype and grading, the extent of disease involvement, age of the patient and functional status of patient,” explains Dr. Bufalino.
It’s important that NHL survivors regularly follow-up with their care team to monitor for recurrence and management of treatment side effects.
Take a free quiz to find out your breast, colon and lung cancer risk.
Related Posts
Comments
About the Author
health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
