Lymphoma is a type of malignant tumor that affects lymphatic tissue and appears in any organ. Although a priori it may seem worrying, up to 98 percent of cases are curable if timely detection and adequate treatment are performed. Success in treatment depends on knowledge of the disease, recognizing the symptoms and timely diagnosis.
In Mexico, lymphoma is the sixth most common cancer, after breast, cervical, lung, prostate and colon tumors. Although the treatment is expensive and prolonged, it allows it to be potentially curable. Regarding the type of lymphomas that exist, 42 different ones can be found, grouped into Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What symptoms does a lymphoma patient present?
If you want to know what symptoms this type of patient presents, the following can be highlighted:
- Growth of one or more nodes in the armpits, groin or neck.
- Noticeable weight loss.
- Excessive sweating and fever (especially in the evening).
- Symptoms specific to the organs it affects may also appear.
Main treatments
The vast majority of cases are treated through combination chemotherapy, applied in highly specialized hospitals. Some can be highlighted such as:
For the cure of patients with lymphoma, a timely diagnosis is essential. As we have already said, 98 percent of lymphomas that are detected in the initial stage (identified with number 1) are curable. In stage two, 80% of cases are cured; in stage 3, between 70 and 75 percent and in stage 4, the cure rate is less than 50 percent.