Hello. Please help.

Hi  and welcome.

Blood Cancers like Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma are a funny beast as it basically is a liquid cancer that can go anywhere the blood goes so can turn up anywhere in the body. The cancer cells can then develop tumours and these areas would light up on a CT scan. There is no real primary site.

Lymphoma is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK. It can occur across the age ranges including children but it is on the whole very treatable with people living for many years after being diagnosed. But the diagnosis of Lymphoma can be long and drawn out as Lymphoma can be very hard to identify. Some of the treatments used can be full on and on the whole Lymphoma can not be ‘cut out’ It takes a very clear treatment plan that can take months to years to complete.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The body is made up of cells that need to be replaced as they age or are damaged. This happens through cell division, which is when a cell divides and makes new copies of itself. Normally, cell division is carefully controlled. But sometimes this process can get out of control. Too many cells may be made and a cancer, such as Lymphoma, can develop.

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.

There are over 60 types of Lymphoma with the two main sub-types being Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and are often treated in different ways

Please keep clear of Google, a good place for clear Lymphoma information would be Lymphoma Action a small UK Lymphoma Charity have lots of information.

Biopsy is the main diagnosis method and for a lot of people nothing will ever show up in any blood tests.

Should you find yourself on a blood cancer journey although hard work, it is very treatable with great results - hit my name to see my journey.

Happy to listen and help as best as we can. 

Very sorry to hear this. Although it sounds trite, I would say not to fear a diagnosis. Why give cancer more power than it already has? And, you have faith in your doctors, in medicine, in the power of love. And, hope never disappoints. Please let us know how you go.

Hi as has been said stop googling for info as it has brought you to a point in your life where you have questioned going forward which is not a good place, here is a link to a range of information that hopefully will bring some of those thoughts back into balance

https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/books-and-information

So take a deep breath and try to clear your head and deal with facts only otherwise you will only become more anxious.

Welcome to our community

I would agree with everyone else on here, please STAY OFF GOOGLE. I searched for accredited medical journals/articles to read more about my type of non Hodgkin lymphoma, high grade Burkitts. 

If I could give any advise is that you have the power to fight whatever type of cancer you have ... you DO have the mental and e/motional power to fight it from within.

Here are my daily mantras that have helped me through my cancer adventure:

1. why not me?

2. life is unpredictably limited for me but then again for everyone else, whether they’re a cancer patient or not.

3. a poor prognosis is based on generic stats and not on me and what I’m capable of.

4. find the small things that make me happy and create many happy moments around them.

5. make the happy moments last.

6. there’s so much care and love around me, that I unfortunately failed to see and truly appreciate before my cancer.

7. never block my moments of sadness, anger and fear but also never block my moments of happiness, tranquility and laughter - I’m entitled to all of them!!

Keep on smiling and as my friends on here said before me, lymphomas are very treatable and in many cases curable, even when they have metastasised - I personally know a lot of cases of people with stage 3 or even 4 lymphoma who are now completely cured!!

I hope this helps 

Yannis  xxx

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. They mean a great desl.

Greengirl xxx

 Hi Greengirl, welcome to the forum.

I hope your biopsy went well and it helped identify the specific type you have. (That said, it can be ambiguous even to the medical professionals, but doesn't prevent them from plotting a course of action to see you rid of it.)

I think TheHighlander's explanation should have reassured you that lymphomas are highly treatable. 

I didn't understand the term 'mets', was curious, and did some research. I can now see why 'metastasis' is such a spooky concept -- when applied to 'hard' cancers. 

Here's a quote:

The term metastasis can evoke fear in patients, likely because it's associated with very poor clinical prognosis in many so-called solid cancers.  E.g., breast, colon, lung cancer, etc.

Metastasis of a lymphoma seems a misnomer - that is, an interpretation known not to be true. The normal behavior of lymphocytes (the cell of origin of lymphomas) is to travel or migrate in the blood and lymphatic tissue in order to fight infection. ... 

Therefore, "migration" or "extranodal" seem better terms for the spread of a lymphoma than "metastasis," because the change in location does not necessarily mean a profound "change in the behavior of the cancerous cells," -- that is, from slow growing to rapidly multiplying, or to treatment-resistant disease.

Hang in there, ask plenty of questions of those doctors and nurses helping you, and keep the faith in yourself. You will get through this.