Asking Your Doctor about LymphomaLymphoma simply means cancer of the lymphatic system. However, as simple as it sounds the disease is quite complex. So it is only natural to begin asking your doctor about lymphoma right from the start. But it is essential that you ask the right questions as well. Never be shy about asking questions that you think sounds stupid. Your future health is on the line so it is imperative that you be properly informed.
We often ask our doctors what causes lymphoma. Unfortunately, the answer to this question remains to be a big fat unknown. Doctors and scientists have yet to identify the singular cause of the cancer. However, what they were able to do was identify the different risk factors involve that might affect the development of lymphoma. It seems that prolong exposure to hazardous chemicals, herbicides, pesticides and even drugs that suppress the body’s immune system have been tied to the high chances of developing cancer of the lymphatic system. Avoiding these situations would be a good life choice or at the very least if you work in the industry where handling chemicals or pesticides are necessary you should take the necessary precautions to protect our bodies from harm.
You need to ask your doctor what type of lymphoma you have. There are two kinds: the Hodgkin's lymphoma which is immediately identifiable under the microscope due to the presence of a particular cell. This is actually the most common kind of lymphoma. The rest of the cases that don’t adhere to the conditions and appearance of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are simply classified as non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Even though they have similarities, the two kinds of lymphoma use slightly different treatment procedures which are why it is important that your doctors are able to identify what kind you have.
How far the disease has spread and how serious is the condition? This is another pertinent information before treatment is implemented. There are basically four stages of lymphoma development. The first stage is where the cancer cells are just in one part of your body so far. At this stage the cancer cells are isolated in at least one lymph node. The second stage is more complex for the cancer cells are in two or more lymph nodes or regions. The cancer cells are located either above or below the diaphragm. This stage is also referred to as "locally advanced disease."
The next stage is the “advance disease” which is the third stage already. The cancer cells at this point are already on both sides of the diaphragm. The final stage or stage four means the cancer cells have already spread to other parts of the body.
The next series of questions would be concerning the treatment. What are the treatment recommendations and what are the procedures for the treatment. There are a number of treatment options available. Among them is biologic therapy which uses methods like monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapy, interleukin 2 and vaccines that boost the body’s capability of protecting itself from lymphoma. Other treatments include the conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Asking your doctor about lymphoma means to get all the information about the disease in order for you to be prepared physically, mentally and psychologically on the next steps that you would need to undergo.
Common Side Effects of Lymphoma Treatments
The most commonly used treatments for lymphoma are chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy involves the administration or application of drugs infused into the veins of the patients. Chemotherapy could also be taken in the form of oral pills. Radiotherapy uses high-energy light rays that are specially and strategically directed at the cancer cells targeted. This form of therapy could be delivered even over small body areas (involved field radiation) or over large areas (extended field radiation).
Such lymphoma treatments are quite toxic. They are designed to strategically kill targeted cancer cells. It is not impossible that during the process, several normal cells are also being damaged. Thus, there are inevitable side effects. However, rest assured that most side effects of lymphoma treatments are only temporary. Such unlikely effects are resolved soon following completion of the treatments. Here are some of the commonly identified side effects of treatments used to cure lymphoma.
Feeling sick. There are chemotherapy drugs that could certainly make you feel nauseous or sick. There could even be several episodes of vomiting especially when chemotherapy comes with radiotherapy for the abdomen. Nausea is often prevented through administration of anti-emetics drugs prior to every cycle of chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. These days, there are even medicines that help control nausea and vomiting.
How long is chemotherapy for lymphoma?
Adjuvant chemotherapy (therapy after surgery has removed all visible cancer) may last 4-6 months. Adjuvant chemotherapy is common in cancers of the breast and colon. In cancers of the testis, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and leukemias, length of chemotherapy treatment may be up to a year.
What is CHOP chemotherapy?
CHOP is the name of a chemotherapy treatment used to treat non Hodgkin lymphoma. It is made up of the drugs. C = Cyclophosphamide. H = Doxorubicin Hydrochloride (also called Adriamycin) O = Vincristine (also called Oncovin)
Is Rituxan considered a chemotherapy drug?
RITUXAN is not chemotherapy. RITUXAN is a type of antibody therapy that can be used alone or with chemotherapy. They work in different ways to find and attack the cells where cancer starts. RITUXAN targets and attaches to the CD20 protein found on the surface of blood cells with cancer.
What type of chemotherapy is used for lymphoma?
These chemotherapy combinations are called regimens. The names of the combinations are often shortened by using the first letter of each drug. Most people with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma have 2 to 4 cycles of ABVD chemotherapy, which contains the drugs Adriamycin (doxorubicin), bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine.
Hair loss. Chemotherapy usually leads to excessive loss of hair. The extent of alopecia could depend on the drug used in the session. There are other effective drugs that could lead to this problem. However, there is no need to worry because hair is almost always beginning to grow back a few months after completion of the treatment. In some cases, it may take more than a year before hair growth restarts.
Falling blood count and infection. During the course of the radiotherapy or chemotherapy, your blood count could fall below optimal or normal levels. Needless to say, your white blood cells are the most affected. You know that when white cell counts dip, the body could develop several forms of infections, often accompanied by fever. Contact your doctor at once when fever appears. You might need special treatment to boost your white cell count and take care of the infection. Any drop in red blood cells could easily be remedied through blood transfusions.
Loss of appetite. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy could alter your sense of taste especially during the duration of the treatment. However, like in hair loss, the sense of taste may return to normal following completion of the lymphoma treatment. Meanwhile, you should strive to take even small meals and drink plenty of water and fluids more frequently. Remember the importance of maintaining your overall nutrition during the treatment.
Sore mouth and sore skin. Lymphoma treatments could lead to sore mouth several weeks after the start of the program. Thus, you could feel difficulty or even pain in drinking and swallowing food. In most cases, doctors recommend temporarily switching to mashed foods that are much easier to swallow. Radiotherapy could cause soreness on the skin. However, such a problem is of no concern as skin sores easily go away immediately after radiation treatment.
Coping with Lymphoma During and After Treatment
When a person is diagnosed with a condition known as lymphoma, his life should evolve in more than just having laboratory tests and deciding what treatment to take. During the entire course of the treatment and several years following its completion, there are many other issues that would come and go, like coping with side effects from treatments, possible remission and relapse, understanding the concepts of disease response, and arranging for necessary funding for the treatment. The immediate family of the patient should also readily provide support in any form other than financial. The issues should be immediately understood and addressed.
Remember that lymphoma treatment could be long and very complicated. Every type of treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and antibodies) could bring about its own complications and issues. There are known side effects of taking such lymphoma treatments. They include hair loss, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, sore mouth, and sore skin. Red blood and white blood count could also fall as such cells could also be killed along with cancer cells during treatment. In some cases, there is nausea, vomiting, and difficulty or pain in swallowing and drinking.
For the financial aspect, understand that lymphoma treatment could be significantly expensive. Several treatments and drugs may be covered under health insurances and government grants but still overall costs could be high. The patient could opt to take financial aid from the government specifically granted to cancer patients. There are even non-government organizations that provide financial support to lymphoma and other cancer patients.
The patient should understand treatment response as well as survival. When treatment is completed, the doctors should immediately assess treatment response. Once all diseases seem to have already disappeared, the patient has had a complete response. He is in a stage of remission. When the disease reappears in the future, there is a condition called a relapse. The patient should very well understand the possibility for both remission and relapse. The doctor should explain each very carefully to the patient.
There are issues following the lymphoma treatment. Patients who win the initial battle against the disease should still expect significant issues in the coming years. Lymphoma and the treatments used have long-term effects. The survivor’s battle is not yet over after complete recovery. In the coming years after the treatment, these could still be expected: cancer-related fatigue, infertility, memory problems, and possible heart damages.
Lastly, the lymphoma patient should not feel alone. The patient needs to feel that his battle against the disease is not fought by him alone. Moral and emotional support could be important. The family members and the loved ones of the patient could take significant roles in supporting the affected individual. Some people fail to recognize the fact that recovery from lymphoma goes beyond mere monetary expenses. Physical recovery from the disease should be complemented by emotional and mental recovery. In this aspect, making the patient feel loved and supported by people around him would definitely help.
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