Can lymphoma be cured?

When it comes to lymphoma, do you feel scared? Lymphoma is already a very common tumor disease, and the number of patients with this disease is increasing. If you suffer from lymphoma, patients will be very worried and don’t know how to treat it. They will also be struggling psychologically. They want to know more about whether lymphoma can be cured. Lymphoma patients should have a good attitude and go to a regular hospital for treatment.

Among tumor diseases, lymphoma is very common and there are already many patients with this disease. Once you suffer from lymphoma, it will cause a lot of trouble to the patient's life. Can lymphoma be cured? Let's take a look at some treatments for lymphoma.

Lymphoma occurs in lymphatic tissue. Lymph nodes are the most common form of lymphatic tissue. They are mainly distributed in superficial parts of the body such as the neck, supraclavicular region, armpits, groin, as well as in body cavities such as the chest and abdominal cavity. Lymph nodes in superficial areas are easy to feel, while lymph nodes in the body cavity require ultrasound or CT scan to be detected. Most lymphomas begin as progressive, painless enlargement of the lymph nodes, especially in the neck. If you feel a painless lump in the superficial lymph nodes of your body and it tends to grow, you should not take it lightly and should see a doctor as soon as possible and have a lymph node biopsy to rule out lymphoma. Lymphomas hidden in the body cavity require regular physical examinations and can be detected through chest X-ray/CT or abdominal ultrasound. In short, the earlier lymphoma is discovered, the greater the chance of cure.

Clinical manifestations

Malignant lymphoma is a large type of tumor with considerable heterogeneity. Although it is prone to occur in lymph nodes, due to the distribution characteristics of the lymphatic system, lymphoma is a systemic disease that can invade almost any tissue and organ in the body. Therefore, the clinical manifestations of malignant lymphoma have certain common characteristics, but also vary greatly according to different pathological types, sites of invasion and ranges.

Local manifestations include superficial and deep lymphadenopathy, which are mostly painless, smooth in surface, movable, tough, full and uniform in texture. In the early stage, they are active, isolated or scattered in the neck, armpits, groin, etc. In the late stage, they fuse with each other, adhere to the skin, become immobile, or form ulcers. Pharyngeal lymphatic ring lesions The mucosa and submucosa of the oropharynx, tongue base, tonsils and nasopharynx are rich in lymphoid tissue, forming the pharyngeal lymphatic ring, also known as the Waldeyer ring, which is a common site for malignant lymphoma. Nasal lesions The vast majority of primary nasal lymphomas are NHL, and the main pathological types include nasal NK/T cell lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Chest lesions Mediastinal lymph nodes are a common site for malignant lymphoma, which are often seen in primary mediastinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma and precursor T cell lymphoma in HL and NHL. There are round, quasi-round or lobed shadows on the chest X-ray. The progression of the lesion can compress the bronchi and cause atelectasis. Sometimes the central part of the tumor will necrotize and form a cavity. Some lung lesions manifest as diffuse interstitial changes, at which time the clinical symptoms are obvious, often with cough, sputum, shortness of breath, and dyspnea. Secondary infection may cause fever. Malignant lymphoma can invade the myocardium and pericardium, manifesting as pericardial effusion. Lymphoma invasion of the myocardium manifests as cardiomyopathy, which may have arrhythmia, abnormal electrocardiogram, etc. Abdominal manifestations: The spleen is the most common subdiaphragmatic invasion site of HL. The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site of extranodal lesions in NHL. Mesenteric, retroperitoneal and iliac fossa lymph nodes are also common sites of lymphoma invasion; skin manifestations: malignant lymphoma may invade the skin primarily or secondarily, which is more common in NHL; bone marrow invasion of myeloid malignant lymphoma is manifested as bone marrow invasion or combined leukemia, which is mostly one of the late manifestations of the disease, and the vast majority are NHL; nervous system manifestations: such as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, subacute necrotizing myelopathy, sensory or motor peripheral neuropathy, and multiple myopathy and other manifestations. Malignant lymphoma can also originate primarily or secondarily in the brain, epidural, testis, ovary, vagina, cervix, breast, thyroid, adrenal gland, retrobulbar tissue of the orbit, larynx, bone and muscle soft tissue, etc. The clinical manifestations are complex and diverse, and care should be taken to differentiate them.

Systemic manifestations include

1. Systemic symptoms

Malignant lymphoma may cause systemic symptoms such as fever, itching, night sweats and weight loss before or at the same time as the discovery of swollen lymph nodes.

2. Immune and blood system manifestations

When malignant lymphoma is diagnosed, 10% to 20% of patients may have anemia. Some patients may have increased white blood cell count, thrombocytosis, and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Some patients may have a leukemoid reaction and a significant increase in neutrophils. Increased lactate dehydrogenase levels were associated with tumor burden. Some patients, especially those in the advanced stage, show abnormal immune function. In B-cell NHL, varying amounts of monoclonal immunoglobulins can be detected in the serum of some patients.

3. Skin lesions

Patients with malignant lymphoma may have a series of nonspecific skin manifestations. The skin lesions are polymorphic, with erythema, blisters, erosions, etc. Patients with advanced malignant lymphoma have low immunity, and skin infections often ulcerate and exude for a long time, forming systemic scattered skin thickening and desquamation.

Although lymphoma may make us feel very scared, we should not be afraid. If we suffer from this disease, we must actively seek treatment. It is useless to worry about it. As for the question of whether lymphoma can be cured, the key is to choose a good hospital and a treatment method that suits you. It is also important to have a good attitude.