Hodgkin’s disease is also known as Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is an important part of the immune system. It is rare cancer that is even rarer in children, than adults. Approximately 4,000 women, almost 5,000 men, and 500 children are diagnosed with it yearly (2012).
It will take the life of about 1300 people per year. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a more common Hodgkin lymphoma. Recognizing the symptoms and treating cancer promptly increases the survival rate, which varies. People who have Hodgkin’s disease have a high survival rate.
Types
The two types of Hodgkin’s disease include classical and nodular lymphocyte-predominant. The classical type is the most common.
Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma has different types, which include the following:
- Nodular sclerosing
- Mixed cellularity
- Lymphocyte depletion
- Lymphocyte-rich classical
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant (NLPHL) is a rare form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Only about 5% of the cases are this type. The symptoms of both types of diseases are the same.
Symptoms
The common symptoms of Hodgkin’s disease include swollen lymph nodes that are painless. The swollen nodes can be in the neck, groin, or underarm. Other symptoms include the following:
- Night sweats that are drenching
- Strange weight loss
- Fever with an unknown origin
- Weight loss for no reason
- Skin that is itchy
- Fatigue
- Lowered tolerance of alcohol
- Coughing or breathing problems
- Loss of appetite
When a person has symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, tests will be done to determine if this type of cancer is the cause. The tests will include a physical exam, health history, blood test, and lymph node biopsy. Other scans and tests may also be utilized to stage cancer. Treatment for adult and childhood Hodgkin’s disease is similar (Trial Suggests New Treatment Option for Hodgkin Lymphoma – cancer.gov
).
Treatment
The success of treating Hodgkin’s disease will depend on the stage the cancer is in diagnosis, the patient’s age, gender, and health history. It is often curable when diagnosed and treated early. Treating this type of lymphoma includes radiation, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplant. Since this cancer has the potential to spread throughout the body, alternative medicine is not recommended without a healthcare professional monitoring the results.
Stages
- Stage I: One lymph node is infected.
- Stage II: Over two lymph nodes are infected on one side of your diaphragm, which is under your lung.
- Stage III: Infected lymph nodes are on both sides of the diaphragm.
- Stage IV: The infection has spread to organs outside of the diaphragm (liver or lungs).
Survival Rate
These are the 5-year survival rates.
- Stage I: 90% to 95%
- Stage II: 90% to 95%
- Stage III: 85% to 90%
- Stage IV: Around 80%
Since 1960, the Hodgkins disease survival rate has doubled from 40% to over 86% caused by the improvement of the types of treatments. The causes (Hodgkins Disease – thehodgkinsdisease.info) are unknown. Many studies are trying to change that.
Conclusion
Hodgkin’s disease is rare cancer, but the prognosis is good with prompt treatment and early diagnosis with children having a higher cure rate than adults.