In recent years, it has been found that the incidence of lymphoma is increasing in China and now ranks among the top ten malignant tumors in China. Many friends are concerned about the question: Can lymphoma be cured?
Lymphoma is a curable disease, and 50% to 60% of early stage patients can be cured using immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
Morbidity and etiology.
Lymphoma is a malignant tumor originating from the lymphatic system and is mainly divided into two categories: Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more prevalent in Chinese patients, accounting for more than 80% of lymphomas. With the rapid development of modern society in recent years, lymphoma has silently squeezed into the list of top 10 malignant tumors in China.
Clinical manifestations.
Symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include enlarged lymph nodes (in the neck, armpit or groin), cough, shortness of breath, inexplicable weight loss, low-grade fever, and excessive sweating (especially at night). However, these symptoms are sometimes not very obvious and are often easily ignored by patients. The author believes that the cure rate will be greatly improved if the symptoms are detected early and the patient is seen in time.
Some early signs deserve particular attention.
1. Progressive lymph node enlargement without a clear cause, especially if it is consistent with the characteristics of malignant lymphoma in terms of location, hardness and activity.
2. “Lymph node tuberculosis” after regular course of anti-tuberculosis treatment, “chronic lymph node inflammation” after general anti-inflammatory treatment is ineffective.
3.Lymph node enlargement and fever sometimes improve after treatment, but often recur, and the overall trend is progressive.
4.Unexplained long-term low fever or periodic fever, especially with itchy skin, excessive sweating, wasting and superficial lymph node enlargement is found.
Treatment
The main treatment methods for lymphoma are immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, etc. Currently, chemotherapy is still the first choice for most lymphoma patients. The 5-year survival rate of patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma can be increased to 70%~80%; the 5-year survival rate of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can be increased to 40%~50% if 3~5 chemotherapy drugs are used in combination at the same time. In contrast, radiotherapy is mainly used to eliminate large masses in the body and residual masses after chemotherapy.
Early diagnosis and standardized treatment of lymphoma is the key to obtaining a cure for lymphoma patients, and the prerequisite for good treatment results is the level of awareness of lymphoma patients about their disease.
Lymphoma-related disease education should be carried out not only to lymphoma patients, but also to the families of lymphoma patients, medical technicians, and the public to educate and popularize lymphoma prevention and treatment knowledge.” However, a systematic and standardized education system for lymphoma patients has been lacking in China.
To prevent lymphoma, generally speaking, the following seven aspects should be done.
1.Avoid and control long-term chronic infections ;
2.Avoid the long-term stimulation of radiation, adrenal hormone and other drugs;
3.Avoid contact with toxic substances in life and stay away from crops that are abused with pesticides and insecticides;
4, pay attention to appropriate exercise;
5, to develop a regular life and diet habits, life in moderation;
6, eat more vitamin-rich food, eat more fresh vegetables, fruits;
7, do not smoke, do not abuse alcohol, etc.