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Hodgkin's lymphoma: what it is, risk factors and symptoms

Lymphoma is a disease of the lymphatic system, i.e. the set of tissues that have the function of defending the body against external agents and diseases. Specifically, Hodgkin's lymphoma can involve organs such as the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow and other small areas of the body, before spreading throughout the body.

The more the disease progresses, the more the body's ability to fight infection is impaired. There are many risk factors of which we are aware, but there is currently no specific prevention method, as it is considered a rare disease.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is complicated to diagnose as it is characterised by symptoms similar to those of other very common diseases, and many times patients are completely asymptomatic. As for treatment, it depends on how far the disease has progressed.

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Hodgkin's lymphoma: what it is, risk factors and symptoms
Lymphoma is a disease of the lymphatic system, i.e. the set of tissues that have the function of defending the body against external agents and diseases. Specifically, Hodgkin's lymphoma can involve organs such as the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow and other small areas of the body, before spreading throughout the body. The cells of the lymphatic system (which are B lymphocytes) have abnormal and excessive growth and can accumulate both in the lymphatic system itself and in other organs.
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The risk factors of Hodgkin's lymphoma
Age: the 20-30 and 50-60 age groups are most affected. It is also environmental, rather than genetic, factors that have some influence on the occurrence of the disease. Also, statistically, men are affected more than women. The Epstein-Barr virus, responsible for infectious mononucleosis, and certain conditions of immunodepression may also favour the onset of this type of lymphoma. Finally, Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in Northern Europe, the United States and Canada and less prevalent in Asian countries.
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Possible methods of prevention
The only way to prevent this type of lymphoma is to stay away from all the most common risk factors. There is no way to predict the onset of this disease, as it is considered very rare.
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Diagnosis
Being a disease that causes symptoms common to other diseases, it is quite difficult to diagnose. Patients often discover it by undergoing a chest X-ray for other reasons. Someone with Hodgkin's lymphoma may experience fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain or swelling, persistent itching and chest pain, coughing or difficulty breathing, depending on the site of onset of the disease.
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In case of suspected Hodgkin's lymphoma.
If a case of Hodgkin's lymphoma is suspected, a lymph node biopsy or a tissue sample from a pathological lymph node is taken. The doctor will then perform the appropriate tests to find out what type of cells we are talking about, whether neoplastic or otherwise. The patient is also given blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy, and also a PET, CT or MRI scan in order to probe the spread of the tumour.
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Cure for Hodgkin's lymphoma
Therapy against this type of disease depends on the degree of disease progression (I to IV depending on the number of infiltrated sites and the presence of localisation in non-lymph node organs). Thanks to research and new clinical protocols, however, most people treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma go into complete remission of the disease.
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