- How is Hodgkin's lymphoma staged
- How follow-up is done after treatment
- Signs of improvement in Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Signs of worsening Hodgkin's lymphoma
Treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma can vary according to the stage of development of the cancer, the age of the patient and the type of lymphoma, however, in most cases the treatment includes the use of:
- Chemotherapy: is the most used treatment in this type of lymphoma and uses toxic drugs that eliminate cancer cells from the body; Radiotherapy: it is usually used after chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tongue and to ensure that cancer cells are completely eliminated. However, it can also be used before chemotherapy if the languages are very large; Steroid remedies: they are used in the most advanced cases of lymphoma to improve the effects of chemotherapy, accelerating the treatment.
Surgery to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma is not used, however, the doctor may perform a small surgery to remove an affected tongue and perform a biopsy in the laboratory, in order to better adapt the treatment.
During treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy it is common for some side effects to appear, such as excessive tiredness, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting or redness of the skin, so the doctor may prescribe some medications to help combat these effects. See how to alleviate the effects in: How to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy.
In the most severe cases, where Hodgkin's lymphoma does not respond to treatment or comes back, it may be necessary to re-undergo chemotherapy with higher doses of toxic drugs, and in these cases, it may also be necessary to have blood or bone marrow transfusions, for example.
How is Hodgkin's lymphoma staged
The staging of the development of Hodgkin's lymphoma is organized according to the sites affected by the cancer, observed through diagnostic tests such as biopsy or computed tomography, for example. Thus, the main stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma include:
- Stage 1: cancer is found in only 1 group of lymph nodes or affected only 1 organ; Stage 2: lymphoma is found in 2 or more groups of lymph nodes or in one organ and more groups of lymph nodes. At this stage, lymphoma affects only the structures on one side of the diaphragm;
- Stage 3: cancer is developed in lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm; Stage 4: lymphoma is developing in several groups of lymph nodes and has spread to other organs such as the liver or lungs, for example.
The prognosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma varies according to the staging phase, and in most cases, stages 1 and 2 have great chances of cure, while the stages are more difficult to cure.
How follow-up is done after treatment
After treatment, the doctor usually makes several appointments to assess whether the cancer has been completely eliminated, and in these appointments he can order diagnostic tests such as computed tomography, X-ray or blood tests, to confirm the results.
Consultations are usually done every 3 months, but over time they become less and less frequent until around 3 years after treatment, when the doctor can discharge the patient if no new signs or symptoms of cancer.
Signs of improvement in Hodgkin's lymphoma
Signs of improvement in Hodgkin's lymphoma may appear during the first month of treatment and usually include a reduction in swelling of the tongue, as well as ease of weight gain and a reduction in tiredness.
Signs of worsening Hodgkin's lymphoma
The signs of worsening of Hodgkin's lymphoma are more frequent when the treatment is started at a very advanced stage or is not being done properly, and includes an increase in the tongue, night sweats, weight loss and an increase in the sites affected by the lymphoma.
