Day ten of Cancer Treatment:- Well what to write today, when not much has happened, apart from another great day with Molly, running around a park, having great fun! So what I thought I would do today, as many If not most of you dont know what I actually have, is enlighten you. As quite frankly I didnt actually know until very recently. I have what is called An Aggressive large B cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma! What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma? It might seem like a strange way to name an illness, but non-Hodgkin lymphoma simply means any lymphoma that is not Hodgkin lymphoma. Over 12,200 people are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma each year in the UK. It is more common in the over 55s and it is one of the most common cancers in people aged 75 and over. There are many different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Some types grow very slowly and others grow more quickly.High-grade or aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is called ‘high-grade’ or ‘aggressive’ when the cells appear to be dividing quite quickly. Some types of high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma will grow faster than others. The most common high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma is: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Other high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas include: peripheral T-cell lymphoma Burkitts lymphoma lymphoblastic lymphoma. High-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas are more common in people aged over 50, but they can occur at any age. Although the term high-grade sounds alarming, these lymphomas often respond very well to treatment and can be cured in many cases So what is a lymphoma? Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system. When a person has lymphoma, some of their lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) are out of control. They divide in an abnormal way or they do not die off when they should. These abnormal lymphocytes can collect in the lymph nodes, which then enlarge as the lymphocytes form tumours. Lymphoma can affect lymph nodes in any part of the body. It can also involve other parts of the lymphatic system, such as the spleen or the bone marrow. Like other cancers, lymphoma can affect the function of the tissue involved. For example, someone with lymphoma in the bone marrow might not be able to make new blood cells. Although lymphoma is a disease of the lymphatic system, it can also happen in other areas of the body. For example, lymphoma can affect the stomach, the skin or the liver. What are the symptoms of lymphoma? You could experience a wide range of symptoms of lymphoma. You might experience very few symptoms. Some people have no symptoms at all. The most common symptom of lymphoma is: a painless lump or swelling, often in the neck, armpit or groin. Other common symptoms include: excessive sweating, especially at night fevers unexplained loss of weight unusual tiredness persistent itching a cough or breathlessness abdominal pain or diarrhea. Your symptoms can vary according to which parts of your body are involved. For example, an enlarged lymph node might cause pain in the area around it. Lymphoma in the stomach might cause stomach ache. Yes I have copied most of this from lymphomas.org.uk but felt it was informative yet not so long winded to read. To anyone reading this, If you or anyone you know or care about are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, and think it is nothing, then please get it checked out. I think did have the night sweats thinking back, as well a my lump on the neck, but I wouldnt have seen the doctor for what I felt was being just hot during the night! Catch this early my friends and the fight is not as hard as it can be!
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 19:42:50 +0000
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