Non-Hodgins Lymphoma with Case Study Example

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma is a coffin nailcer of the lymphocytes the white affinity cells. The lymphocytes and lymph arrangement are essential in our bodys immune protection. It is an abnormal growth localise of these cells. Since lymph is found throughout the body it is easily spread from one line of business to an early(a). In 2008 there were all over 66,000 new cases and just over 19,000 deaths from it (cancer. gov). It is categorized as slow growing or fast growing, as well as if it starts in the T-cells or the B-cells. Lymphomas from B cells are most habitual in the joined States.The lymphoma can develop in any of the lymph tissues, and disco rattling of which kind of lymphoma determines the treatment options (cancer. org). Causes Although there are no definite causes to Non Hodgkins lymphoma there arrest cases where it has been linked to persons with another ailment. Autoimmune diseases want RA and systemic lupus erythematosus have been linked to NHL. Exposures to chemica ls such as benzene and treatments in chemotherapy have been exposen in trends to cause NHL. citizenry who are immunocompromised like HIV endurings and those that are on immunosuppressant from transplants are also at luck for Lymphomas.Also, people having excessive exposure to large amounts of radiation, like cancer treatments have an increased fortune of developing this lymphoma. NHL is mostly seen in the older community so age is also a risk factor. Also chronic diseases may increase the chances of getting a lymphoma callable to the increased risk of mutations from perpetually producing new lymph cells. Some patients can be born with a disease that can lead to NHL due to a defect in their DNA. It is not likely that they can pass on the NHL to their offspring if they put ont have the underlying disease.Most a good deal it develops independently. Discovery Lumps in the skin and lymph nodes can be discovered by the patient, their partner or doctor. Where the lump is located c an also give pointless symptoms. For instance, if it is found near the skin there would be a swelling in the surrounding tissue. If its in the abdomen it can cause severe pain and possible digestive problems. If the lymphoma is on the skin t can cause an itchy patch. If it is in the chest cavity it can cause upset breathing. Case Study Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Shannon Z is an active 58 yr old female.In her archaean twenties she had undergone chemotherapy and radiation for her treatment of breast cancer. When she noticed the lump in her neck she immediately went to see her doctor. The doctor ordered some blood tests and a biopsy of the lump. Her doctor wasnt very concerned because fleck an infection can also cause enlarged nodes in the neck. She ordered the tests anyway because of the patients medical history. Along with the lump, she experienced drenching night sweats which are another symptom of NHL tho she thought it was a side effect of menopause.Other signs to look for would b e persistent fevers and a jerky loss of weight, usually 10 % body weight or more. An incisional biopsy is a surgical technique apply to obtain a sample of the node for observation. This was used because the enlarged node was close to the skin surface. on that point are other biopsies available. Fine needle biopsies can also be used exclusively a great deal dont provide enough sample to determine if its lymphoma or not but does not require surgery. Lumbar punctures look for lymphoma in the CNS. Bone marrow aspiration looks for the cancer inside the gussy up and bone marrow by removing pieces of the bone and/or marrow.Laboratory tests All samples must be diagnosed be a trained pathologist with experience in lymphomas. The most important test would be those differentiating if the patient has a cancer, then T cell lymphoma from the B cell lymphoma. If a concrete diagnosis cant be made from looking at the cells then other methods must be used. Methods like Immunocytochemistry invol ve using fluorescent tags on the surface of the cells can differentiate the different lymphomas from each other and non cancerous diseases. Flow cytometry uses antibody tagging and laser beams to cause the cells to emit light if they have the antigen.This is important because different NHLs have specific antigens. Discovery of the type of NHL helps determine the treatment route. Blood tests cannot determine a lymphoma but they do show significance of the rate of growth of the lymphoma. CT scans and MRIs provide the doctors with images of the size of the actual lymph nodes and how some(prenominal) growths there are through the body. Prognosis There are two staging systems for NHL. The most common is the Ann Arbor system. It uses 1-4 to stage the severity of the disease. phase 1 has lymphoma in one area in the lymph system and one outside the system (organ).A lymphoma is considered stage 2 if it is found exclusively in 2 areas above or 2 areas below the diaphragm and organs in close proximity to lymph. Stage 3 occurs when it is found on both sides of the diaphragm and other organs near lymph. Stage 4 is when lymphoma reaches the bone marrow, CSF, or an organ not next to a lymph source. This system is used in community with the International Prognosis Index. The IPI uses the age of the patient, stage of the cancer, patient everyday performance status, location of the tumors, and levels of LDH (increases as the lymphoma spreads) dependable Prognostic FactorsPoor Prognostic FactorsAge 60 or belowAge above 60 Stage I or IIStage III or IV No lymphoma outside of lymph nodes, or lymphoma in only 1 area outside of lymph nodesLymphoma present in more than 1 organ of the body outside of lymph nodes PS adequate to function normallyPS Needs a lot of help with daily activities Serum LDH is normalSerum LDH is elevated (Chart provided from www. cancer. org) Treatment Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with radiation for low levels, or with medications like Rituxan or Zavalin. Rituxan is an antibody that targets the cancerous cells.Zavalin is an antibody with a radioactive component. The antibody attaches itself and the radioactive isotope destroys the cell. These drugs are used for the more persistent lymphomas because chemo and radiation have been proven very effective against the lymphoma. Stem cell transplantation is also another option. Once diagnosed, patients are requested to have frequent physicals and blood tests to track the growth of the cancer. Resources http//www. oncologychannel. com/nonhodgkins/diagnosis. shtml http//www. cancer. org http//www. cancer. com http//www. mayoclinic. org