Lymphoma Flashcards
what are the two types of lymphoma? which is more common?
non Hodgkin and Hodgkin
NHL is more common
give the symptoms of lymphoma
fever
swelling of face and neck
lump in neck, armpit or groin
excessive night sweating
unexpected weight loss
breathlessness
itchiness of skin
feeling of weakness
describe Hodgkin lymphoma and who is more likely to get it and when?
15-40 years of incidence age
males are 2 times more likely to get it
single lymph node involvement usually in reaction to infection.
B cells produce reactive cytokine to attract more lymphocytes.
what clinical presentations will show when someone has Hodgkin lymphoma?
painless lymphadenopathy - typically cervical and fluctuates in size and pain
fever, night sweats, weight loss, itching, infection
describe non-Hodgkin lymphoma
recurrent bacterial or viral infection leading to malignancy in lymph nodes
microbial factors, Epstein bar virus, HIV, H.pylori
autoimmune disease
immunosuppression
large proliferation of lymphocytes
what will present when someone has NHL?
Lymphadenopathy
- can be invisible
Often
- extranodal disease (oropharyngeal involvement, waldeyers ring involvement causing noisy breathing and sore throat)
marrow failure symptoms - bleeding etc
what is the prognosis of NHL?
50% relapse after treatment
poor if not treated
often responds well to treatment
what is multiple myeloma?
the malignant proliferation of plasma cells (cells that produce antibodies)
what are the features of multiple myeloma?
large paraprotein produced in blood and urine
Calcium levels very high due to bone erosion
Anaemia as myeloma cells use up space for rbc production
Bone pain
Fatigue
Weight loss
what treatments can be offered for haematological malignancies?
chemo
radiotherapy
monoclonal antibody treatment (artificial antibodies)
haemopoietic stem cell transplants
what are the 4 stages of treatment for haematological malignancies?
I - induction - a blast of chemo removing cancer cells
R - remission - normal body with little evidence of cancer
M - maintenance and consolidation - supplementary treatments preventing relapse
R - relapse - treatment failed
what supplementary treatment is offered for malignancies?
nutrition
psychological and social support
prevention and treatment of further infection
managing symptoms and pain control
how does chemotherapy work?
high turnover cells targeted
typically hair follicle cells (causes hair loss)
weight loss as gI tract is a high turnover
long term risk of oncogenesis
how does radiotherapy work?
ionising radiation
adjacent healthy tissue is affected and irradiated
spatial positioning of the beam used to prevent this
long term risk of oncogenesis
how does monoclonal antibody treatment work?
now the mainstay of treatment…
target growth factors to prevent growth
target interleukin messaging (regulates cell growth, differentiation and motility)
