The actress Jane Fonda has announced through social networks that he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“I have been diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma and I have started chemotherapy treatments,” explained the American interpreter. “It is very treatable and 80% of people survive.”
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“Almost every family in America has dealt with cancer at one time or another, and too many don’t have access to the quality care I’m receiving, and that’s not okay. We also have to talk a lot more not only about cures, but also about causes in order to eliminate them.”
what is lymphoma
It is the most frequent type of blood cancer among the population. Although there are no regulated epidemiological analyzes in Spain, the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN) estimates that 10,000 new cases of lymphoma are diagnosed each year.
Lymphoma is a type of hematological cancer caused by the malignant proliferation of lymphocytes (defensive cells of the immune system), which generally begins in the lymph nodes.
Until now its causes are not known, therefore, there is no type of preventive measure that can be carried out.
The mean age of onset, according to the Spanish Society of Hematology and Hemotherapy (SEHH), is 60 years. The good news is that up to 60% of lymphoma cases are cured.
Lymphoma symptoms
The most common signs that lymphocytes are dividing abnormally are:
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Swollen lymph nodes (adenopathies) located in the neck, armpits or groin. This increase in size is due to the fact that the disease usually begins in these nodes.
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The patient has a high fever, above 38 degrees.
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Excess sweating at night.
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Unexplained weight loss. Specifically, to lose 10% in just 6 months.
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Other local manifestations: peripheral adenopathies, enlarged spleen, etc.
More than 60 types of lymphoma
According to the there are more than 60 types of lymphoma. The difference between them is in the type they are affected and in the biomarkers involved.
Despite this great variety, SEHH experts establish two large groups:
- Hodgkin lymphomas. It represents 10% of the lymphomas that are diagnosed. It is more common for it to occur among young people (15 to 35 years old) and older people (between 50 and 70 years old). Fortunately, most patients manage to overcome it.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphomas. They constitute 90% of lymphomas. They mainly affect people over the age of 65.
Regardless of the type of lymphoma, its course of evolution is very different in each patient, and this also allows specialists to distinguish between indolent lymphomas Or the aggressive ones.
The indolent ones are, according to hematologists, of slow growth. There are patients who, without receiving any type of treatment, live for many years without presenting complications.
What’s more, in some cases specialists recommend not starting any treatment until symptoms develop.
On the opposite side are the aggressive lymphomaswhich evolve rapidly and if not treated can reduce the patient’s life expectancy to a few months or weeks.
The most common approach to aggressive lymphomas is through immunochemotherapy. And fortunately, the vast majority of patients respond well to treatment, even being cured.
Within this aggressive hematological cancer, the best known is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (LBDC).
Diagnosis and treatment
Once the warning symptoms typical of this pathology appear, specialists will determine the presence of lymphoma through different diagnostic tests:
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Exploration of lumps or adenopathies.
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Biopsy of inflamed lymph nodes.
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Blood test.
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Serologies.
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Chest X-ray.
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CT of the neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvis.
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Positron emission tomography (PET).
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Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy.
Once the diagnosis has been made, the treatment that the patient will receive will depend on the type of lymphoma he has and the stage in which he is. Among the most used techniques are:
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Polychemotherapy.
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Monoclonal antibodies.
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Radio-chemotherapy.
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Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (marrow transplant).