Hodgkin's Disease

ADULT HODGKIN'S DISEASE

An Overview of Hodgkin's Disease

Hodgkin's Lymphoma is also known as Hodgkin's Disease, and is a malignancy starting in the lymphatic tissues. It might then move out into other parts of the body such as the lungs, testes, or bone marrow.

Other forms of lymphomas are classified as, 'Non-Hodgkin's,' and happen more often than Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Hodgkin's Lymphoma is unique because of the presence of cells that are referred to as, 'Reed-Sternberg,'cells in the area of malignancy. These cells, along with other forms of them, are specific to Hodgkin's Disease and appear different under a microscope from other non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and other cancer cells. Reed-Sternberg cells are something that doctors believe to be a kind of B-lymphocyte malignancy; normal B-lymphocytes are the form of cells that human antibodies use to fight off infections.

There is a virus known as the, 'Epstien-Barr (EBV),' virus that seems to be a factor in around 40 or 50% of people with Hodgkin's Disease. In other studies done recently results have shown that Interleukin-13, which is a natural cytokine in the body, might be rapidly produced by Hodkin's cells that are malignant. Research has not revealed the cause of Hodgkin's Disease yet, and continues. Thomas Hodgkin (1798-1866) was an English Scholar who became famous for his research on the disease, and it was named for him. The disease was first written about in 1666 by Malpighi, but it was Thomas Hodgkin's article in 1832 titled, 'On Some Morbid Appearances of the Absorbent Glands and Spleen,' where cases of Hodgkins Lymphoma became documented clearly.

Lymphatic tissues are present in several parts of the human body and Hodgkin's Disease can begin nearly anywhere. Lymphatic tissues are enlarged by Hodgkin's malignancies, then create pressure upon important structures. Cancerous cells are able to spread around lymphatic tissues and into vessels that support them, and if upon getting into the blood vessels can spread to other sites in the human body such as the lungs or liver; although this is not as common.

There are several reasons that lymphatic tissue can become enlarged, and one of them is due to Hodgkin's Disease. More commonly it is because the body is fighting off some form of infection, and because of this Hodgkin's Disease is difficult to diagnose. Unfortunately, there is no non-cancerous, or benign form of Hodgkin's Disease. Hodkin's Disease does not pose a risk to others once a person has it.

Statistics Related to Hodgkin's Disease

The appearance of Hodgkin's Disease in children under five years old is very rare, and for children under ten years of age Hodgkin's Disease is more common for boys than girls. Around 10 to 15% of every case of Hodgkin's Disease occurs in children under the age of sixteen. The largest age group of people who are diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease are young adults, or those in the age range of fifteen through forty years of age; most commonly those who are twenty-five to thirty years old, or people who are in late adulthood - older than fifty-five.

In the year 2000 the American Cancer Society estimated that about 7,400 new cases of Hodkin's Disease would be diagnosed in the United States. Of these cases, 3,200 of them would occur in women, and 4,200 in men. The Leukemia Society of America estimates that male siblings of Hodgkin's patients are at a slightly higher risk of developing Hodgkin's Disease, even if it does remain a rare occurence.

An estimated 1,400 people died of Hodkin's Disease in America in 2000. Improved treatment of Hodgkin's Disease has caused the death rates to fall by over sixty-percent since the early 1970's. The American Cancer Society states that the one year survival rate after treatment of Hodgkin's Disease is now at 93%, and that the five year rate is at 82%. The ten year survival rate, according to them, is now at 72%. At fifteen years, the survival rate stands at 63%. The main cause of death for persons with Hodgkin's Disease is a recurrence of it. Death due to other causes is most common for people who have survived the fifteen to twenty year mark.

Further Information Regarding Hodgkin's Disease

Characteristics of Hodgkins lymphoma
Lymphomas are the cancer of the lymphoid tissue, so Hodgkin's disease which is a type of lymphoma, is also a cancer of this tissue. Lymphoid tissue is part of the lymphatic system which is a major component of the immune defense system. The elements that represents the immune system are organs like spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, cells and vesels.

Mantle Cell Lymphoma Information
Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive (fast-growing) type of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are related malignancies (cancers) that affect the lymphatic system (lymphomas).