Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is a part of the immune system that helps to fight infections and diseases. Lymphoma occurs when there is an abnormal growth of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, which can form tumors in the lymph nodes or other organs of the body.

This cancer comes in numerous forms. Primary subtypes include:

• Hodgkin’s disease (previously called Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
• Nodular lymphoma

Which treatment is best for you depends on the type and severity of your cancer. It can treat by chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplant or a combination of these therapies.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs may include:

• Swollen but not painful lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groyne
• Persistent tiredness
• Fever
• Sweats at night
• Breathing difficulty
• Unaccounted-for weight loss
• Skin itch

Causes

The exact cause of this cancer is unknown. But it starts when a white blood cell called a lymphocyte, which fights infection, experiences a genetic change. The mutation gives the cell the go-ahead to divide rapidly, resulting in a large number of ill lymphocytes that keep procreating.

The cells can also survive even if the mutation would have caused other normal cells to perish. This results in the enlargement of the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver as well as an excessive buildup of sick and ineffective lymphocytes in the lymph nodes.

Risk Elements

The risk of getting this type of cancer might increase due to a number of factors:

• Age: More frequently diagnosed in people over 55.
• Being a Man: This cancer is considerably more common in men than in women.
• A Compromised Immune System : People with immune system disorders or those who take immunosuppressive medications are more likely to develop this type of cancer.
• Contracting Specific Infections: Helicobacter pylori infection and Epstein-Barr virus infection are two infections associated with increased risk of developing this cancer.

Types

There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

• Hodgkin characterized by the presence of a specific type of abnormal cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. It accounts for about 10% of all lymphomas. There are two main categories: classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Non-Hodgkin is a heterogeneous group of cancers that originate in lymphocytes and can arise from either B cells or T cells. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for about 90% of all lymphomas and can be classified into various subtypes, including:
• • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
  • Follicular lymphoma (FL)
  • Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL)
  • Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
  • Burkitt lymphoma
  • Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma / Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
  • Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  • T-cell lymphoma
  • Cutaneous lymphoma

Treatment

Depending on the type and stage of your condition, your general health, and your preferences, you should choose the proper therapies. In order to put the disease in remission, as many cancer cells as possible removed during therapy.

• Active Observation: Some lymphoma varieties progress very slowly. When its symptoms and signs interfere with your regular activities, you and your doctor may decide to postpone treatment. You might get testing every so often to keep an eye on your health till then.
• Radiation Therapy: This uses a high energy beam to target cancer and destroy it. They range from X-rays to high energy Protons. Used either before surgery or after surgery in case of advanced cancers.
• Chemotherapy: This therapy utilizes the drugs or medicines which target the cancer cells directly. Chemotherapy is systemic in nature with respect to surgery or radiotherapy. In advanced cases, chemotherapy usually happens in cycles.
• Transplant Of Bone Marrow : High doses of chemotherapy and radiation used during a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, to suppress your bone marrow. Then, either from your own body or from a donor, healthy bone marrow stem cells injected into your blood, where they go to your bones and regenerate your bone marrow.
• Further Therapies: Targeted therapies that target particular abnormalities in your cancer cells are among the additional medications use to treat this cancer. Immunotherapy drugs work by boosting your body’s defenses against cancer cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a specialist procedure that employs your body’s immune system’s T cells to attack cancer by genetically modifying them to do so.