Cancer of the Lymph Nudes:
Cancer
of the lymph nodes, also known as lymphoma, will affect more men than women.
With about 5 percent of all cancers, lymphoma is found to develop more
frequently in people between the ages of 15 to 55.
There
are between 500 to 700 lymph nodes in the body found in groups mostly in the
neck, underarm, chest, abdomen and groin. These nodes are tiny rounded or bean shaped
masses.
The
two forms of cancer are affecting these nodules are, Hodgkin’s disease and Non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma. Hodgkin’s disease is a rare form presenting symptoms of night sweats,
unexplained weight loss, unexplained fever and constant fatigue. Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma, the most common, has the same symptoms as Hodgkin’s disease.
Regardless of gender, if there is a family history of this form of cancer, the
risk increases. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is believed to develop in people that
have had a high exposure to herbicides and pesticides.
The
lymph nodes are a part of the lymphatic system. Lymph, the fluid in this system
originates as plasma, flows between cells delivering nutrients, oxygen and
hormones to the cells. As it leaves the cells it removes excess fluid, dead
blood cells, bacteria, viruses and all other waste material with it. These
nodes will trap cancer cells, slowing the spread of the disease, until cancer
overwhelms them.
Cancer
can metastasize in other parts of the body by traveling either through the
bloodstream or through the lymph nodes. When this happens the cancer will be
still called by its origin, for instant papillary thyroid cancer or breast
cancer, but with lymph node involvement.
The
most common symptom or sign that cancer has spread to the nodes is that one or
more of them are enlarged. With that said there are many other reasons this
inflammation could happen, infection for instance. Your doctor will want to do
a physical examination and blood and urine tests to rule out infection. For further
screening diagnostic imaging to find the location of any tumors in the body
will be done. A biopsy on the enlarged nodules may also be done either by
surgery or by performing a fine needle aspiration.
Once
all the diagnostic testing is complete the stage of the cancer can be
determined. Staging of cancer is determined by the number of tumors, if they
have spread and if so how intensely. Staging will assist the doctors determine
treatment and the prognosis of the disease.
It
is routine procedure when operating on an area of the body that has cancer like
the thyroid or the breast, that suspicious and some normal lymph nodes are
removed at the same time. These are all sent for biopsy. The pathology report
will tell you how intensive the cancer of the lymph nodes is. In the case of
papillary and follicular thyroid cancer the normal protocol, if the thyroid
cancer is found in any of the nodes removed, is treatment with radioactive
iodine will be required.
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