Main and Subtypes of Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer that affects the cells of the immune system. These affected cells can be found in the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow, along with other parts of the body. Lymphoma is split into two main types: Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin types. The most common form of lymphoma is Non-Hodgkin’s. Hodgkin’s is the other yet rarer form of lymphoma, and both types respond to treatment in different ways. Lymphoma is often linked to diets high in red meat and smoking.

Overall, lymphoma is highly treatable. Effectiveness of treatment is dependent on the type of lymphoma and the stage of the lymphoma. Lymphoma cancers occur in infection-fighting lymphoma whereas leukemia starts in blood-forming cells within the bone marrow. Let’s look at the subtypes of lymphoma:

1. B-Cell lymphoma

B-cell lymphoma prognosis is dependent on the type. the treatment the physician prescribes, the patient’s age, and how far the tumor has progressed at the time of discovery. B-cell lymphoma is considered Non-Hodgkin’s disease and is broken into two categories, low grade, and high grade. Patients diagnosed with a low grade have a greater chance of recovery than those patients diagnosed with high-grade type. This type of lymphoma has its best chances of recovery in those patients that their lymphoma is found in stages 1 and 2. Normally, at stages 1 and 2, this type of lymphoma can be cured by the use of radiation treatment. If found in the patient at stages of 3 or 4, the lymphoma can be very difficult to treat.

2. T-cell lymphoma

T-cell lymphoma develops in the lymph nodes of the patient’s spleen. This type of lymphoma can also be found in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, nasal cavity, and the skin. This form of lymphoma can be further divided into Peripheral Lymphoma, Anaplastic Large Cell lymphoma, Angioimmunoblastic Lymphoma, and Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma as follows:

• Anaplastic type lymphoma can include symptoms of fever, backache, swelling of lymph nodes, itching, and feeling tired all the time. This type of lymphoma can occur throughout the patient’s body or can be limited to the patient’s skin.
• Angioimmunoblastic type lymphoma is a rare type of lymphoma. This type of lymphoma affects about seven percent of the current population and occurs most frequently in the middle-aged to elderly.
• Cutaneous type lymphoma is primarily confined to the patient’s skin. Skin affected can develop patches, plaques, or tumors. Patches on a person’s skin are normally flat with sometimes scaly. Plaques are thick, raised, and highly itchy. They are often misdiagnosed for eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis. Cutaneous type lymphoma can be found commonly in persons in adults over 60 years old.

3. Mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma is considered a non-Hodgkin type. This type of lymphoma occurs in patients in their sixties. In Mantle Cell Lymphoma, the patient’s lymph nodes will consist of a raised area or bump on the neck, armpits, or groin. Other symptoms include an enlarged spleen, and adverse conditions developing in the bone marrow, liver, and gastronomical tract.

Chemotherapy is the most common form of treatment. In advanced stages, high doses of chemotherapy are used in conjunction with total body radiation. Also, in some situations, immunotherapy and targeted therapy are used.