What is lymphoma?
The term lymphoma summarises various cancers of the lymphatic system and is also colloquially referred to as cancer of the lymph glands. The lymphatic system is by no means limited to a single organ. Rather, the lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes, the spleen and the tonsils, but also the lymphatic tissue, which is located, for example, in the stomach, in the intestine or under the skin. Malignant lymphoma, i.e. malignant lymph gland cancer, causes the uncontrolled growth of white blood cells (lymphocytes), whereas benign lymph gland cancer often remains undetected and initially manifests itself only as swollen lymph glands.
How does lymphoma develop?
Until today, doctors have not been able to determine any generally valid risk factors that lead to the formation of a lymphoma. According to current knowledge, various factors must interact to promote the likelihood of developing lymphoma. These include, for example, genetic predisposition. If a family member already has a malignant blood disease, the probability of developing lymphoma increases. But chemotherapy or radiotherapy, autoimmune diseases and immunosuppressive drugs, such as those administered after an organ transplant, can also contribute to the development of lymphoma.
What are the symptoms of lymphoma?
Swollen lymph nodes can indicate lymphoma, but non-specific symptoms such as fever, excessive sweating, pain in the affected organs or weight loss can also be the first signs of the disease. Up to now, lymphoma cannot be diagnosed at an early stage because it is usually a different but also rare disease.
How is lymphoma diagnosed?
If a lymphoma is suspected because of a symptom, the doctor will first palpate the lymph nodes and the abdomen, but will also thoroughly examine the tonsils. If the suspicious lymph node is located, a tissue sample is taken in a further step in an outpatient operation. This is then examined by laboratory doctors under the microscope. However, in order to also make sure how far the lymphoma has already spread, further imaging examinations such as an X-ray examination or ultrasound are used.
How is lymphoma treated?
Aggressive (highly malignant) lymphomas must be treated immediately. Depending on the stage of the cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy can be used. In some cases, however, it is sufficient to monitor the lymphoma through regular check-ups. This is the case, for example, with slowly progressing (low-malignant) lymphomas. Decisive for determining the right treatment is also the spread of the lymphoma in the body, but also the age and general health of the patient.