Write An Essay On Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which is formerly known as Hodgkin's disease, is the cancer of the lymphatic system. Cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and sometimes rapidly, and can be spread outside of the system. As the cancer progresses, your body loses its ability to fight infection and can become dangerous. It is relatively rare; there are less than 200,000 cases of this disease per year in the United States. There is another type of lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which is much more common. The causes of Hodgkin's Lymphoma are unknown, but doctors do know what happens during the process of developing it. The disease occurs when a B cell, which is an infection fighting cell, develops a mutation in it's DNA. This mutation makes the cells continually and rapidly divide and live beyond their normal lifespan. The overgrown, mutilated cells crowd in the lymphatic system and and push the normal, healthy cells out. Although some people with Hodgkin's Lymphoma do not experience any, there are multiple possible symptoms that point towards the disease. The most common sign is lumps under the skin of the neck, arm, or groin, which are enlarged lymph nodes. Other signs include fever, …show more content…
Then, the patient will undergo a physical examination with special attention on their lymph nodes and lymphatic organs, such as the liver and spleen. Doctors may also conduct blood tests. Because enlarged lymph nodes are often caused by infections, they often wait a few weeks to see if they have decreased in size before going further with diagnosis. If they are still enlarged, the patient will have a biopsy. The biopsy samples are looked at under a microscope and can often be the deciding factor on if a patient has Hodgkin's