Detecting Lymph Node Cancer

Lymph node cancer is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is very important to the body. The lymphatic system is a set of tiny vessels that take fluid awake from tissues and back into the blood stream. Within the lymphatic system there are small organs, or lymph nodes that are located in areas of the body such as the neck, armpits, and the groin. It is easy to see that lymph node cancer that affects the lymphatic system can be very serious to the whole body. There are two different forms of lymph node cancer, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

One initial sign of Hodgkin’s disease include swelling of the lymph glands that are tender to the touch. This is caused by the cancer affecting the lymph nodes, eliminating the ability of the glands to properly transport bodily fluids. Other signs of Hodgkin’s disease include tiredness, severe sweats, fevers, weight loss and itchy skin.

If a person thinks they may have lymph node cancer, several things are does by the doctor to check and see if the patient does indeed have lymph node cancer. The doctors can remove an affected lymph node gland for testing; they can do X-rays, take a CT scan, and if needed, take a bone marrow sample from the patient’s hip bone.

Lymph node cancer can be treated, although the treatment is fairly extensive. Treatment of lymph node cancer includes radiation, chemotherapy, and sometimes surgery. Chemotherapy is given through injections into the patient’s veins that sometimes causes the patient’s to loose their hair and feel nauseous. The good thing about this illness is that if detected early enough, it is usually able to be treatment affectively.

If a person feels that their lymph nodes are swollen for an unnatural period of time, a time longer than the period where lymph nodes are swollen during flu like illness, it is important to get checked out. Lymph node cancer is quite serious, but if caught in time, is usually curable.