A type of lymphoma, not as common as Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, is Hodgkins disease or Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is characterized by malignant growths of cells in the lymphoid system. Thomas Hodgkin, who discovered this disease in 1832, was an English scholar who worked at the Guys Hospital in England. Since the discovery of Hodgkins Lymphoma, there has been a great deal of research conducted on this disease, which has contributed to the huge body of literature regarding it. This research provides vital information on understanding the disease, its symptoms, and its treatment. Below is some of the information that medical research on the disease has produced. Features of the Disease What distinguishes Hodgkins disease from other lymphoma is the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in the area where the cancer has developed. Most studies show that the origins of these cells are B cells. In other cases of the disease, the Epstein-Barr virus has proven to be a factor in the development of the cancer. The disease can occur in both children and adults, and among them, a higher incidence of the disease has been found among young adults between the ages of twenty-five and thirty and among those who are fifty-five or older. As with other lymphomas, the symptoms of this disease include a compromised immune system, which results in a higher incidence of infections. Treatment The treatment of this disease also includes some of the common modes of treatment used to treat other lymphomas. The most often used among these is chemotherapy, which involves administering powerful drugs that target the cells that cause the cancer. Another common type of treatment is radiation therapy, where a radiation beam is targeted at a localized area where there is a concentration of cancer cells. For advanced cases, a bone marrow transplant is done to bolster the body's immune system. Hodgkins disease is also considered to be one of the most serious types of cancer because it can have severe effects on the body of the person who develops the disease. Fortunately, the extensive research done on Hodgkins disease has paved the way for the development of new and more effective treatments in fighting the disease. As a result of this, the survival rates of people who have this disease have increased in recent years. |
