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Posted on Mar 09, 2005, 5 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
The term lymphoma refers to cancers that originate in the body's lymphatic tissues. Lymphatic tissues include the lymph nodes (also called lymph glands), thymus, spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and bone marrow, as well as the channels (called lymphatics or lymph vessels) that connect them. Although many types of cancer eventually spread to parts of the lymphatic system, lymphomas are distinct because they actually originate there.
The term lymphoma refers to cancers that originate in the body's lymphatic tissues. Lymphatic tissues include the lymph nodes (also called lymph glands), thymus, spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and bone marrow, as well as the channels (called lymphatics or lymph vessels) that connect them. Although many types of cancer eventually spread to parts of the lymphatic system, lymphomas are distinct because they actually originate there.
About 1,700 children younger than 20 years old are diagnosed with lymphoma each year in the United States. Lymphomas are divided into two broad categories, depending on the appearance of their cancerous (malignant) cells. These are known as Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Together, they are the third most common type of cancer in children.
Hodgkin's Disease
This type of lymphoma is defined by the presence of specific malignant cells, called Reed-Sternberg cells, in the lymph nodes or in some other lymphatic tissue. Hodgkin's disease affects about three out of every 100,000 Americans, most commonly during early and late adulthood (between ages 15 and 40 and after age 55).
The most common first symptom of Hodgkin's disease is a painless enlargement of the lymph nodes (a condition known as swollen glands) located in the neck, above the collarbone, in the underarm area, or in the groin. If cancer involves the thymus (a gland of the immune system that is larger in children and located in the middle of the chest), pressure from this gland may trigger an unexplained cough, shortness of breath, or problems in blood flow to and from the heart. About a third of patients have other nonspecific symptoms, including fatigue, poor appetite, itching, or hives. Unexplained fever, night sweats, and weight loss are also common.
