Commentary - (2021) Volume 13, Issue 10
Lymphomas are divided into two categories, Hodgkin's lymphomas and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. A fatal diagnosis has become a curable condition. Most non-Hodgkin lymphomas are B-cell lymphomas and grow rapidly (high grade) or slowly (low grade). There are more than a dozen types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The rest are T-cell lymphomas, named for another cancerous white blood cell or lymphocyte. A lymph node biopsy is done to diagnose lymphoma. Then, additional tests will be done to determine the stage (extent) of the lymphoma, including blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, and imaging tests such as CT scan or a positron emission tomography scan. Imaging tests show if the lymphoma has spread to other parts of the body, such as the spleen and lungs. The doctor will then make treatment decisions, which will consider your age, general health, and the stage and type of lymphoma. It is one of the most curable types of cancer. Drug therapies and improved treatments for different forms of lymphoma continue to evolve as researchers better understand how these cancers progress. Standard treatment for advanced asymptomatic follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and early, unfavorable Hodgkin's disease (refers to patients with clinical stage I or II disease and one or more risk factors). The efficacy of an innovative investigational drug that has the potential to become a new treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory disease for whom there are currently no treatment options available.
The standard of care for patients with asymptomatic advanced follicular lymphoma has been a vigilant approach in which chemotherapy is delayed until the cancer progresses, as this type of cancer often grows slowly before becoming symptomatic. It based on research showing that treating these asymptomatic patients with chemotherapy immediately after diagnosis has no overall survival benefit. Patients avoiding the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy at a time when they feel comfortable. Follicular lymphoma progresses when a type of white blood cell called a "B" cell becomes cancerous. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively breaks down cancer B cells and has a more beneficial side effect than chemotherapy. It determines whether treating follicular lymphoma patients with the drug immediately after diagnosis would further delay the time before chemotherapy is needed. Relative risks of lymphoma were classified for three different levels of total disease activity, low, medium, or high, depending on the duration of the disease and the number of swollen and tender joints. Lymphoma was also compared to treatments in broad categories like any DMARDs, any NSAIDs, aspirin, oral steroids, injected steroids, and cytotoxic drugs. In addition, the lymphoma samples were reclassified and analyzed for the Epstein Barr virus (EBV). The risk of lymphoma was particularly low in patients who received frequent corticosteroid injections into swollen joints, and suggesting that strong anti-inflammatory drugs may play a role in protecting against lymphoma. Of all the medical treatments examined, it may increase risk of Azathioprine-only (AZA)-associated lymphoma, which is not considered a traditional DMARD for RA and is rarely used in current treatment. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the blood and begins in the lymph nodes. B cells are the immune cells of the human body that are responsible for producing antibodies to fight infection and ensure long-term immunity. The B-cell includes both Hodgkin's lymphomas and most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The main theory used to explain how lymphoma developed was the malfunction of a mechanism (somatic hyper mutation) used by B cells to modify the genes that code for antibodies. This mechanism is necessary to produce highly specific antibodies, but it also inadvertently changes other genes, leading to lymphoma. Most leukemia’s and lymphomas are sporadic, and the specific etiology remains unclear. It malignancies often develop in association with genetic abnormalities, immunosuppression, and exposure to risk factors such as ionizing radiation, cancer-causing chemicals, and oncogenic viruses. The prognosis varies by subtype, with lower chances of survival for adult acute leukemia and more favorable outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma.
The prevention efforts against these malignancies, there is a great need to ensure fair access to diagnostic and treatment services worldwide. About half of the blood cancers that occur each year are lymphomas or cancers of the lymphatic system. This lymph node system in the neck, armpits, mole, chest, and abdomen removes excess fluid from your body and produces immune cells. Abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights infection, turn into lymphoma cells that multiply and accumulate in the lymph nodes. Over time, these cancer cells affect your immune system.
Received: 08-Oct-2021 Published: 29-Oct-2021
Copyright:This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
