When the growth of abnormal cells in your body’s lymphatic system is more, it mainly results in Hodgkin’s disease, commonly known as Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Lymphatic system is part of your body’s immune system that fights with various infections in your body and keeps you healthy always.
Lymphatic vessels carry a colorless fluid substance called lymph, which naturally contains certain infection fighting cells called lymphocytes.
It usually involves your tonsils, bone marrow, chains of lymph nodes and also spleen in its network.
Lymphatic tissue is also found in various parts of your body including your stomach, skin and intestines.
Early signs of Hodgkin’s disease are quite difficult to identify!
Most of the initial signs and symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are quite confusing for you. They are much similar to those of flu such as fever, night sweats and also fatigue. Certain most common symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma can mainly include:
- Fever and chills.
- Unexpected sudden weight loss, as much as 10% or more of your total body weight.
- Persistent fatigue and loss of appetite.
- Painless swelling and itching of lymph nodes, particularly in armpits and neck.
However, unlike many types of cancer that spreads to your body lymph nodes, Hodgkin’s lymphoma actually begins in the cells of your lymph system.
To understand Hodgkin’s lymphoma in much better way, it is very essential for you to know more about normal cells of your body and what happens when these cells turn into cancerous.
Formation of tumors in Hodgkin’s lymphoma!
In general, your body cells grow and divide to produce more cells. This process mainly happens only when your body desperately needs new cells. At times, this division and production of new body cells takes place unnecessarily and creates a mass of extra tissue, called tumor in your body.
These tumors can be either benign or malignant depending on the growth and various other body conditions.
In Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the cells of your lymphatic system grow abnormally and divide too rapidly without any order or control and results in the formation of tumor in various lymphatic tissues in your body.
Abnormal B cells play vital role in the development of Hodgkin’s lymphoma!
No one knows the exact cause for the growth of abnormal cells in lymphatic system. But, it is believed that presence of abnormal B cells in your body plays a vital role in the development of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
B cells are a type of lymph cells, which are the major part of your body immune system. Normally, these B cells in association with T cells (derived from your thymus) work together and fight with various infections causing germs in your body.
When these B cells develop into large abnormal cancerous cells, it usually results in Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These abnormal B cells are usually referred as reed-Sternberg cells. Usually these cells never die and continue to produce abnormal cells in a malignant process.
Whenever you identify any abnormal signs that are related to lymphoma, visit a physician for better treatment.
