Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Hodgkin's Disease - Ayushveda

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Hodgkin?s disease is cancer of lymphatic tissue that is generally found not only in lymph nodes and spleen, but also in bone marrow, liver and other places. Specifically speaking, the cancer originates in the cells of lymphatic tissue called lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells.

Nowadays Hodgkin?s disease is also referred to as Hodgkin?s lymphoma.? With early recognition and adequate treatment, the 5-year survival rate is quite high (almost 80%). Since many of the people suffering from Hodgkin?s are young, if adequately treated they can survive for 40 or more years after treatment.

Causes Of Hodgkin?s Disease

The exact cause is not known, but it is thought to be due to many factors. It is more common in males, those between 15 to 40 years and those over 55 years. If there is a family history of Hodgkin?s, you are at greater risk for the disease.

If you have a history of Epstein-Barr virus infection causing infectious mononucleosis, you are at increased risk for Hodgkin?s. If the immune system has been weakened due to infections such as HIV you are more likely to develop the disease. However, many people with one or more risk factors do not go on to develop the disease.

Symptoms

There is usually painless swelling of lymph nodes in the armpits, neck or groin. If liver or spleen is enlarged, you can have a feeling of fullness and pain in the upper abdomen just beneath the ribs. You may suffer weight loss without any apparent reason. You may have frequent and persistent fever.

There can be other symptoms like weakness, tiredness, trouble with breathing, coughing, chest pain, night sweats and itchy skin. There can also be back pain, red patches on skin, tendency to bleed easily and petechiae (purple or red spots on skin). These symptoms need not always indicate cancer, but if they are present for 2 or more weeks, then you should think of consulting a doctor.

Diagnosis

Biopsy of swollen lymph nodes and biopsy of bone marrow are done. If the disease is confirmed, then other tests are done to find the extent of spread so that the disease can be assigned a stage, which helps in planning the treatment. These tests are blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, CT scan of chest and abdomen, and PET scan.

Staging of Hodgkin?s Disease

The staging is done with one or more of these tests: CT scan, MRI, PET scan and biopsies of bone marrow, lymph nodes and liver. Staging is based on the extent of involvement of lymph nodes and other organs like liver, spleen, lung and bone. The stages run from I to IV including also the category of ?recurrent? to account for recurrence of disease after treatment.

Treatment

Treatment depends on age, presence of symptoms like weight loss, night sweats and fevers, and type, stage and size of the tumor. The treatment is with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both. If there is relapse after treatment, higher doses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both, are given, followed with stem cells transplantation.

There are three chemotherapy regimens currently used, namely ABVD, Stanford V and BEACOPP regimens, each of which uses a combination of different chemotherapeutic drugs. Radiotherapy used is mainly external beam radiotherapy.

Photo Credit :?http://www.jpathology.com/Issues/Previous%20Articles/9(5).html

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