NHL and tumours

Hi  and welcome to our corner of the Online Community but sorry to see why you have found us,’

First your question, Lymphoma being a blood cancer goes where the blood goes - the text below is taken from one of Macmillans ino sheets.  

In Lymphoma, our White Blood Cells called Lymphocytes become abnormal, these are the Lymphoma cells. Usually the body’s immune system destroys abnormal cells. But Lymphoma cells are often able to avoid the immune system. This means they can keep dividing and grow out of control. Over time, there are enough Lymphoma cells to form a lump. The most common place for this to happen is in the lymph nodes. 

But lymphoma can start growing in other parts of the body. Lymphocytes travel around the body. This means that Lymphoma can spread from where it first started. It can spread through the lymphatic system from lymph nodes in one part of the body to lymph nodes elsewhere. Lymphoma cells can also travel in the bloodstream to organs such as the bone marrow, liver, lungs and skin. The cells may then keep dividing to form a new area of Lymphoma.

Me again :) the treatment he is on will go through the blood stream in all directions to clear out the build up of cells but also to look for ones that have ‘moved on’ to other areas of the body.

There is always a chance that R-CHOP (I had R-EPOCH) will not do the job completely so his team can use other treatments, this happened to me and all the other options were not suitable so I went straight to have two Stem Cell Transplants with cells from my brother........and yes after living with my type of NHL I have been in remission for a few years, after having been told 30 years back that I would never find remission :) 

You will have lots of other questions so keep the coming.

It would be really useful if you could put something into your profile as this does help others when replying to you or for those looking for support and information as they can read a bit about your journey so far.

Just click on your username and then select 'Edit Profile' under the 'Profile Settings'. If you're not sure what sort of thing to put just click on my username, Thehighlander to read my profile but my cancer journey was rather long.

((hugs))

Mike, thank you so much for your reply. It has been a long hard road - I will fill in my profile soon - and I have seen so many people and am overwhelmed with information. I know I read in one of the Macmillan books that "stage 4" lymphoma does not have the same connotation as in other cancers, and that lymphoma is in the blood stream. So I was under the impression that it would not cause "masses" once the R-CHOP got to work.

Hi, just to add to mikes post and answer your question about further masses, first despite all the advances Rchop is still the best treatment for dlbc lymphoma and for most people it does respond and kill off the disease. What is known now is the are a number of different sub types of dlbc, until around 2 years ago the were only 2, that's now 4 and growing as they have done lots of genetic research into the biopsies and what they show. that has led to them being able to look for certain markers when a full genomic profile is done, this is cutting edge and will one day lead to personal treatment plans that treat the presentation/sub type, rather than just dlbc. the are though a small number of people who have a sub type that can be hard to treat and may become chemo resistant, they need to be treated differently.

at this stage you just need to focus on the treatment, that its working and all will be well, the what if's and maybe's and what has happened to others only wastes energy and can cause unnecessary angst. I had stage 4b with an unfavourable outlook but in a couple of weeks it will be 10 years since I was diagnosed and the are lots of us survivors around.

so here to help as and when you both need it

John  

Hi again, each journey is diffrent so don’t hang your hat on someone else’s expereances as each journey is completely diffrent.

Staging on Lymphoma is not that a big deal - I wa 4a2 but only gave my team information as to what treatment is best for my presentation and yes the chemo does actually melt the growth areas away so very important for him to drink lots of water as this will flush out his kidneys and gets the toxins out of his body, 

Keep your questions coming x

Thank you John. My husbands medical situation is complicated (I will put more in my profile soon) but all of this is so helpful.

Hi Nannoo55

I had stage 3b, and as well as R-Chop I had intrathecal Methotrexate, which is effectively chemo into the spinal fluid to help prevent the lymphoma spreading to the central nervous system and the brain.  This was followed by two years Rituximab immunotherapy.  

As my haematologist said this week, there are so many new treatments coming through at the moment, with good results,  If the first line of treatment doesn't work, there are quite a few variations they can try now.  Everyone's journey is different and what works for one person may not work for another, but there is usually something else they can try.

Jan x

I don’t think in lymphoma the white blood cells divide, but instead they don’t die as they should. The body keeps producing more so the numbers run away- building up and they accumulate. Also they don’t do what they are supposed to as they are stuck in one place...

I may be wrong though.

regarding lumps, they may come and go, but if everything was alright they should not be there really, the human anatomy is clear, any extras probably don’t mean any good.

Taken from Lymphoma Action:

Your body is made up of many different types of cell, eg skin, bone and blood cells, among others. Your cells grow and divide to form new cells. These new cells replace cells that have grown old or become damaged and died. Cell division and cell death are normal processes that occur in your body. These processes are controlled by chemical signals.

The cell cycle

New cells form when a cell divides into two new cells.

Figure: The cell cycle

Content supplied by the world’s largest charitable funder of cancer research © Cancer Research UK [2002] All rights reservedThe cell cycle and cancer

How does cancer develop

Cancer can develop if cells have mutations (changes in their genes) that mean they stop ‘listening’ to control signals. The cells may then start to divide in an abnormal way, or they may not die when they should. This breakdown in control lets abnormal cells build up and form a cancer. In cancer, the abnormal cells are ‘malignant’, meaning they can spread to other parts of the body and start growing there too.

In cancer, your body makes abnormal cells, which may stop you from making normal, healthy cells. This is dangerous because it can prevent organs from working properly. Cancer also uses up the energy and nutrients needed by your body. There are many different types of cancer and each can have different effects.

Some types of cancer, eg breast cancer, are well known. Other types, such as lymphoma, are less well known. Many people diagnosed with lymphoma had never heard of the disease.

What is lymphoma?

Lymphoma occurs when lymphocytes (white blood cells that help to fight infection) become out of control. They divide in an abnormal way or do not die when they should.

Healthy lymphocytes travel around your body in your lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. The lymphatic system runs throughout your body and includes lymph nodes (glands) as well as organs of your immune system like your thymus (a small gland behind your breastbone) and your spleen (an organ behind your stomach that filters your blood and helps fight infection). Lymphocytes collect in your lymph nodes ready to fight infection. Lymph nodes are found throughout your body, often in groups.

If you have lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes can collect in your lymph nodes, often in your armpits, neck or groin. However, abnormal lymphocytes can collect in almost any part of your body. They might be found in lymph nodes deeper in your body or in other parts of your lymphatic system, like your spleen. Less commonly, lymphoma can be extranodal, which means it starts in areas outside of the lymphatic system. These areas can include your lungs, liver or bones.

What symptoms of lymphoma you have depends on where the lymphoma starts and what parts of your body it affects. Like any cancer, lymphoma can affect the function of the tissue involved. For example, if it affects your lungs, you might have a cough or shortness of breath.

There are many different types of lymphoma which can behave differently and need different treatment.

B and T cells are made in the bone marrow, from stem cells. And they mature elsewhere,

they are not made by division from previous B or T cells for sure.

That picture above applies to solid state tumours, other cancers more than blood cancer I think. But it does show why the cancer grows so quickly when aggressive type.

Yes, you are spot on . The picture shows normal cell division, developing into the various cells that keeps our body going.

Cancer can develop if cells have mutations (changes in their genes) that mean they stop ‘listening’ to control signals. The cells may then start to divide in an abnormal way, or they may not die when they should. This breakdown in control lets abnormal cells build up and form a cancer. In cancer, the abnormal cells are ‘malignant’, meaning they can spread to other parts of the body and start growing there too. (Taken from the Lymphoma Action text)

This is a simple but good video about this subject - LINK