If Hodgkin lymphoma returns after treatment, you may receive stem cell
transplantation. A transplant of your own blood-forming stem cells (autologous
stem cell transplantation) allows you to receive high doses of chemotherapy,
radiation therapy, or both. The high doses destroy both Hodgkin lymphoma cells
and healthy blood cells in the bone marrow.
Stem cell transplants take place in the hospital. Before you receive
high-dose treatment, your stem cells are removed and may be treated to kill
lymphoma cells that may be present. Your stem cells are frozen and stored. After
you receive high-dose treatment to kill Hodgkin lymphoma cells, your stored stem
cells are thawed and given back to you through a flexible tube placed in a large
vein in your neck or chest area. New blood cells develop from the transplanted
stem cells.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having a stem
cell transplant:
What are the possible benefits and risks of a stem cell
transplant?
How long will I need to be in the hospital? Will I need special
care? How will I be protected from germs?
What can we do about side effects?
How will having a stem cell transplant affect my normal
activities?
What is my chance of a full recovery?
Second Opinion
Before starting treatment, you might want a second opinion about your
diagnosis and your treatment plan. Many insurance companies cover a second
opinion if you or your doctor requests it.
It may take some time and effort to gather your medical records and see
another doctor. In most cases, a brief delay in starting treatment will not make
treatment less effective. To make sure, you should discuss this delay with your
doctor. Sometimes people with Hodgkin lymphoma need treatment right away.
There are many ways to find a doctor for a second opinion. You can ask your
doctor, a local or state medical society, a nearby hospital, or a medical school
for names of specialists.
Nonprofit groups with an interest in lymphoma may be of help.
Hodgkin's Disease - Symptoms At Onset Of DiseaseQuestion: The symptoms of hodgkin's disease can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Night sweats are severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.
Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood cells in which the growth and development of the blood cells are abnormal. Strictly speaking, leukemia should refer only to cancer of the white blood cells (the leukocytes) but in practice it can apply to malignancy of any cellular element in the blood or bone marrow, as in red cell leukemia (erythroleukemia).
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, a vital part of the body's immune system. Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, coughing, weakness, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on which type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma you have, the stage of the cancer, your age, how fast the cancer is growing, and whether you have other health problems.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer which begins in skin cells called melanocytes and affects more than 53,600 people in the United States each year. These melanocytes can grow together to form benign moles which, after a change in size, shape, or color can be a sign of melanoma. Caused by sun exposure, early detection becomes extremely important to avoid a spread to other areas of the body. Diagnosis is confirmed through a biopsy of the abnormal skin and treatment depends on the extent and characteristics of the patient.
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Eye floaters are deposits or condensation that forms in the eye's vitreous humor. These deposits cast shadows on the retina, and as the eye moves, the deposits shift position, making it appear as though the shadows are moving or floating.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Teenagers recognize that they are developmentally between child and adult. Teen health prevention includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, preventing injuries and screening annually for potential health conditions that could adversely affect teenage health.
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