Lymphoma, how much do you know about it?

  Lymphoma is a tumor originating from lymph nodes or other lymphatic tissues. Lymphoma includes not only the traditional non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but also multiple myeloma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and various lymphoproliferative diseases according to the new WHO lymphoma classification in 2008.  The most common ones are painless lymph node enlargement in the supraclavicular fossa, neck and axilla and tonsillar enlargement, especially after anti-infection treatment, the lymph nodes are further enlarged. The more typical manifestations are the so-called “B symptoms”, i.e. irregular fever, night sweats and emaciation.  There are three characteristics of lymphoma: 1. Complexity: As of 2008 WHO lymphoma classification, there are 43 subtypes of lymphoma, and each subtype of lymphoma has obvious differences in pathological structure, immunophenotyping, cytogenetics and molecular biology expressions, and the treatment plan and treatment protocols are all different; 2. 3. Irregular diagnosis and treatment: Most non-specialist doctors lack knowledge of lymphoma and are unable to diagnose and treat lymphoma at an early stage and apply standard treatment plans, so many patients who could be cured are not treated effectively.  The key to overcome lymphoma: 1. Early diagnosis and standardized treatment: Most of the patients with stage I and II lymphoma have very good efficacy if they are treated with standardized treatment, while late detection, irregular treatment plan and insufficient treatment dose will affect the long-term efficacy and cure rate; 2. The cornerstone of efficacy is a full course of treatment (the course of treatment varies from patient to patient); 3. Correct selection of hospital: The selected hospital should have at least the following conditions: capable of conducting comprehensive pathology, immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics and molecular biology diagnosis, complete drugs, and the attending physician has a deep understanding of lymphoma and can skillfully apply standardized chemotherapy regimen and targeted therapy.