What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is the cancer of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a subtype of the white blood cells of the immune system. These cells help the body fight infections and are normally found in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. Lymphomas can be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Both types of lymphoma are further classified into T-cells or B-cells.
What is primary lymphoma of bone?
Primary lymphoma of bone (PLB) is a rare type of cancer that starts in the bone instead of the lymph nodes. PLB accounts for less than 5% of all bone tumors. PLB is also known as reticulum cell sarcoma, malignant lymphoma of bone or osteolymphoma, and it is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What is the main cause of primary lymphoma of bone?
The exact cause of lymphoma of bone is unknown; however, some of the risk factors that increase your chances of getting lymphoma are:
What are the signs of primary lymphoma of bone?
Pain is the most common symptom of PLB. Pain due to PLB typically worsens with physical activity. PLB weakens the bone, so some patients may develop bone fractures. Other symptoms of PLB are:
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Swollen glands
- Itching
- Fatigue
In rare cases, some neurologic symptoms may develop, which are:
- Numbness or tingling in the legs
- Lack of voluntary control over urine or defecation
- Sharp stabbing pain
How can lymphoma of bone be diagnosed?
Biopsy of involved tissue is used to confirm the diagnosis. Lab tests are performed to rule out other medical conditions, which include:
- Liver function tests for liver disease
- Urine and serum protein electrophoresis for multiple myeloma
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein for infections
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to rule out Paget’s disease and osteosarcoma
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to rule out lymphoma and Ewing sarcoma
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer
Radiographic tests such as X-ray and ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scanning are also performed.
What is the treatment for primary lymphoma of bone?
Radiation therapy is often combined with chemotherapy.
Chemotherapies used include:
- Cyclophosphamide
- Doxorubicin
- Vincristine
- Prednisone
Patients may undergo surgery for the following conditions:
- Biopsy
- Skeletal complications
- Fractures
- Complications of the spine
A stem cell transplant is another treatment option for some patients with lymphoma of bone.
What is the survival rate for primary lymphoma of bone?
The survival chances are higher in primary lymphoma of bone as compared to other types of bone cancers. A five-year overall survival rate is 95% with chemoradiation and 78% with single therapy, according to a study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Simply put, 95% of the patients live for more than five years with chemotherapy and radiation and 78% when they had either chemotherapy or radiation.
Complications of lymphoma of bone include:
- Fracture
- Infection
- A blood clot in the veins
- Spread of cancer to other sites
- Toxicity due to chemotherapy
Patients with lymphoma of bone have typically responded well to treatment.
SLIDESHOW
Skin Cancer Symptoms, Types, Images See SlideshowTop What Is the Main Cause of Primary Lymphoma of Bone Related Articles
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Aliqopa (copanlisib)
Aliqopa is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with follicular lymphoma (FL) when the disease has come back after treatment with at least two prior medicines. Serious side effects of Aliqopa include infections, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), high blood pressure (hypertension), low white blood cell count (neutropenia), and severe skin reactions.
Broken Bones
Broken bones are a common type of injury. Bones are some of the hardest tissues in the body, but they can break when they are stressed. Osteoporosis and cancer may cause bone fractures. The broken bone needs immediate medical treatment.Brukinsa (zanubrutinib)
Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of mantel cell lymphoma (MCL) and Waldenström macroglobulinemia, both of which are types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Serious side effects of Brukinsa include hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; pounding heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, chest discomfort, lightheadedness, right-sided upper stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, and others.
What Is Burkitt Lymphoma?
There are multiple types of Burkitt lymphoma. Burkitt lymphomas are types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that affect the bone marrow and central nervous system. Symptoms of Burkitt lymphoma may include nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes, and many other symptoms. Diagnosis involves lab testing, imaging studies, patient history, and cytogenic evaluation. There are multiple staging systems used to stage Burkitt lymphoma. Treatment consists of chemotherapy. The prognosis tends to be more favorable in children than in adults.
Cancer
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.
What Conditions Are Extracorporeal Photopheresis Used For?
Extracorporeal photopheresis procedure processes the patient’s blood to selectively treat the white cells and curb their proliferation in cancer like lymphoma and other conditions. The blood passes through a device which performs photopheresis involving light and medications, and returns the treated white cells and blood back into circulation to improve the condition.Folotyn (pralatrexate)
Folotyn (pralatrexate injection) is an antineoplastic (anti-cancer) drug used to treat T-cell lymphoma that has spread throughout the body. Folotyn is given for relapsed T-cell lymphoma, or after other medications have been tried without successful treatment.
Hodgkin's vs. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Both Hodgkin's disease (sometimes referred to as Hodgkin's lymphoma) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are cancers that originate in a type of white blood cell known as a lymphocyte, an important component of the body's immune system.
How Do You Get Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is cancer that affects the lymphatic system, a part of the body’s immune system. The lymphatic system helps in filtering foreign cells and microorganisms. The lymphatic system is comprised of lymph fluid, lymph nodes, tonsils, thymus, and the spleen.Leukeran (chlorambucil)
Leukeran (chlorambucil) is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of Chronic Lymphatic (Lymphocytic) Leukemia and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Leukeran may be used alone or with other medications. Serious side effects of Leukeran include hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, seizures, unusual mass or lump, severe vomiting or diarrhea, new or worsening cough, easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under skin, and others.
What Is Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma?
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Why Is an Endobronchial Ultrasound Performed?
Endobronchial ultrasound is a procedure used to diagnose various lung problems, including infections and cancer. Endobronchial ultrasound allows physicians to perform a technique known as transbronchial needle aspiration. It helps the doctors to obtain tissue or fluid samples from the lungs. The samples can be used for diagnosing and staging lung cancer, detecting infections, and identifying inflammatory diseases that affect the lungs, such as sarcoidosis or cancers like lymphoma.Xpovio (selinexor)
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