Hodgkin’s disease is a type of cancer affecting the lymphatic system where the cells in the immune system grow into abnormal size and spread to other organs. As the disease progresses it limits the function of immune system that fights it. Hodgkins lymphoma is one of the common types of lymphatic system cancer.
Symptoms :
Some of the symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma include extreme fatigue, fever/chills, swelling of lymph nodes (more on the neck, groin and armpits), excess of sweat in nights, sudden weight loss (without any effort), irresistible cough, difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite and itching.
Causes :
The exact cause of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not known. It is believed to be caused due to gene mutation. It can be due to B cell mutation which divides rapidly causing death of healthy cells. This results in the accumulation of excess of B cells in the body leading to swelling of lymph nodes and they become overcrowded thus blocking the activity of healthy cells.
Two major types of lymphoma are recognized.
Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma :
Individuals with this type of lymphoma will have large sized abnormal cells in their body which are called Reed Stemberg cells.
Lymphocyte predominant lymphoma :
This is a rare type of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the abnormally sized cells in this type resemble popcorns.
Who are at risk?
People who are in the age group of 20-35 and those who are above 55 years are prone to develop Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Individuals who are predisposition having parents or close relatives with this type of cancer are at increased risk of developing this disease. People with weak immunity and those who are infected with Epstein Barr virus are prone to get Hodgkin’s disease.
Tests :
Your doctor will look for the above symptoms after completing the physical examination. He checks for the presence of swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits. He would order for blood profile, imaging tests like X-rays, CT or MRI scanning, and sometimes even a biopsy. For some people, small tissue is removed from the bone marrow to test for cancer.