World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Every year this day is commemorated in honour of the general public to understand and learn more about ‘Lymphoma’ and all that it entails. While most of us have heard of this medical term we are slightly unaware of all that is associated with it. Lymphoma is a term that is associated with cancer but that is not all, it is imperative that one understands its types and the scares that it gives mankind.
What Is Lymphoma?
Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Associate Director, Bone Marrow Transplant, Hematology Oncology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital explains, “Lymphomas are a kind of blood cancer which have very high cure rates with chemotherapy alone. Lymphoma is classified into 2 types Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma can further be divided into 3 types based on the cell of origin – B cell (most common), T cell and NK cell.
He further added, “The prognosis and outcome of B cell lymphoma is better as compared to other types of lymphomas. All T cell and NK cell lymphomas need autologous BMT as consolidation treatment to have high cure rates.”
Symptoms Of Lymphoma
The symptoms of lymphoma typically manifest in elderly individuals, more often in males. Common symptoms of this condition include fatigue, fever, unexplained weight loss, and enlarged lymph nodes. Additionally, low haemoglobin, low platelet counts, high white blood cell counts, and recurrent infections may be indicative.
Types of Lymphoma
Dr. Chandrakant Lahane – Haematologist, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospitals, Hadapsar, Pune, says, “There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common. Within non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, there are two broad categories: B-cell lymphomas and T-cell lymphomas.”
He went on to add, “The most common type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Other types include low-grade lymphomas like follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma, as well as high-grade lymphomas such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and acute lymphoblastic lymphoma.”
Treatment
“Treatment options have evolved. In the past, chemotherapy was the primary approach, but recent developments include chemo-immunotherapy, which combines chemotherapy with targeted therapy using antibodies against specific surface markers on lymphoma cells, such as CD20. This approach has shown promising results. Salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplants is an option for refractory cases. Emerging treatments like CAR T-cell therapy are also being used for refractory lymphomas,” said Dr. Lahane.
Dr. Singh mentioned, “In multiple times relapse/refractory cases of Mantle cell lymphoma or Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma there is now approval of CAR-T cell therapy which is highly efficacious. Recently Indian CAR-T cells have shown promising results in these types of lymphomas so it will become more affordable.”
Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have some similarities in symptoms, but the diagnosis and treatment differ.
Dr. Lahane explained, “Hodgkin’s lymphoma was historically mistaken for lymph node enlargement due to infections like tuberculosis until it was correctly identified by Dr. Thomas Hodgkin. The diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is histological, involving specific markers. Treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma has advanced, and it is now often curable. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma encompasses a wide range of lymphomas and is diagnosed differently based on histological and genetic markers.”
It has to be noted that while both types of lymphomas share some symptoms, their diagnoses and treatments differ significantly due to distinct histological characteristics. Hodgkin’s lymphoma was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first identified it, whereas non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a broad category with various subtypes.
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