Hodgkin's Disease

Each day many people are diagnosed with cancer. Cancer begins when normal cells live beyond the normal life cycle and grow out of control. Cancer forms a lump or mass in a person's body. Some cancers are named for the system the affect while others are named for the physicians who discover them. There are many different type of cancer; Hodgkin's disease is a form of lymphoma, which is a cancer in the lymph node system. The lymph nodes create and store white blood cells which fight infection. Hodgkin's lymphoma tumors generally develop in the neck or chest. Then it can spread to other lymph nodes, the spleen, liver or bone marrow. Hodgkin's affects your body's ability to fight off infections.

There are some factors that are associated with the disease, but only account for a small amount of the cases. There is no real reason why people get Hodgkin's disease. Hodgkin's lymphoma is mostly common in people ages 20-30 as well as people over 50. The Epstein-Barr virus which cause mono could also play a part in the cancer's development. As with many cancers, family history can increase a person's risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Another factor that can increase the risk is any immune deficiencies a person may have. What causes Hodgkin's disease is still unknown. The cancer cells in Hodgkin's do not die and end up producing more abnormal cells. Those abnormal cells don't produce the antibodies they way they are supposed to. Hodgkin's disease reacts very well to the chemotherapy given. It is a cancer where many patients are cured with the treatments.

There are several different tests that go into diagnosing cancer. Family history and a physical examination is the first thing that is done. Most Hodgkin's patients are diagnosed after noticing enlarged lymph nodes generally in the neck. Lymph nodes may also be found in the clavicle, armpit area, and the groin. Many people are diagnosed after a mass is found. Some other symptoms include fever, night sweats and major weight loss. If history and the exam suggests Hodgkin's then a tissue biopsy is done. This is when a piece of the enlarged lymph node is removed and tested. Many times a bone biopsy is also done to be sure how far the illness has spread. A bone biopsy is a procedure that is done to remove a sample of the bone marrow generally from the pelvic or hip area. This is a very painful procedure as there is no way to numb bones. Blood tests may also be required to determine blood count and other aspects that go into the cancer. After a person is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, he/she is grouped based on the stage of the cancer. Stage one is when the cancer affects one lymph node or lymph system, stage two affects two systems on the same side of the diaphragm. Stage three affects lymph node structures on both sides of the diaphragm, and stage four affects other organ and tissues other then the lymph nodes, such as the spleen and liver.

Hearing you have cancer is never a good thing to hear, but hearing that it's Hodgkin's disease eases the pain a little because there is the positive turnouts from the treatments. With any kind of cancers, it is always best to ask as many questions as you can even if you feel the question is stupid; ask it anyway. Ask for information about your specific cancer to help acknowledge yourself with what you have and treatments for it. The more you know about what's happening and will happen, the easier it is to deal with it.