Touch this place, it doesn't hurt but it's more dangerous! Six warning signs to unlock lymphoma | World Lymphoma Day

"Doctor Fat Bear, I feel a few small bumps on my neck. Is it lymphoma?"

"Don't panic. Swollen lymph nodes don't necessarily mean lymphoma. Does it hurt when you touch it?"

"It's swollen, but it doesn't hurt, and it feels a little hard to the touch."

"Be careful, it's more dangerous if it doesn't hurt! Go to the hospital right away to check if it's lymphoma."

We are all familiar with "lymph nodes". As the body's immune system, when we find ourselves sick, it has actually sent out a signal to remind you! For example, gingivitis causes swollen submandibular lymph nodes, tonsillitis causes swollen tonsils, swollen cervical lymph nodes, etc.

However, if we don’t have toothache or throat pain, but we feel “lumps” the size of soybeans, is this swollen lymph node lymphoma?

September 15th of every year is World Lymphoma Day. Today, we have invited experts from the Hematology and Oncology Center of the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University to explain to everyone this thousand-faced tumor that can spread throughout the body - lymphoma and its six major warning signs.

Being good at disguising a tumor with many faces, the first diagnosis and treatment is crucial

Lymphoma is a malignant tumor originating from the lymphatic hematopoietic system. It is a large type of malignant tumor caused by the malignant transformation of lymphocytes themselves. It can be mainly divided into Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In my country, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common, and about 80%-90% of confirmed lymphomas are non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Data show that the incidence of lymphoma has increased year by year, and it has now ranked among the top 10 malignant tumors in the country.

Since the lymphatic system is spread throughout the body, the "footprints" of lymphoma are also spread throughout the body. In addition to hair and nails, lymphoma may be found in other parts of the body. And most of the early manifestations of lymphoma are painless lymph node enlargement, such as superficial neck and armpits. But some swelling occurs in the lymphatic tissue deep in the body, such as abdominal lymph nodes, and even breasts, ovaries and other parts, which are easily confused with other tumors. Many lymphoma patients first went to dermatology, otolaryngology, etc. for their first visit. Although they were able to get a corresponding diagnosis, the effect after symptomatic treatment was minimal, which wasted a lot of time. Therefore, in the face of this "thousand-faced tumor", once you find that you have suspicious signs of lymphoma, it is recommended to go to a specialist hospital with professional experience in diagnosing and treating lymphoma. First diagnosis and first treatment, accurate treatment is the key to a better prognosis after lymphoma treatment!

Six warning signs to unlock early lymphoma

Since the first diagnosis and treatment is so important, what symptoms should we be alert to lymphoma? Surgery experts have summarized the six warning signs of early lymphoma. Take a look~

Swelling: Swollen lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes caused by lymphoma can be divided into superficial lymph nodes, which are commonly found in the neck, armpits and groin. They can be felt by oneself and are usually painless and itchy. Deep lymph node swelling includes abdominal and mediastinal lymph node swelling, which cannot be felt by oneself. It is usually caused by compression symptoms such as abdominal pain and difficulty breathing when the lymph nodes are swollen to a certain extent.

Fever: Fever. The fever caused by lymphoma is persistent. After conventional anti-inflammatory and anti-infective treatment, the fever still recurs. If the persistent fever lasts for more than 2 weeks and no other cause can be found, it is the body's distress signal and needs to be taken seriously.

Thin: Emaciation. The standard for emaciation caused by lymphoma is a weight loss of more than 10% within six months, with no other explanation.

Sweat: Night sweats. Usually, after falling asleep, the patient sweats on the forehead, occipital area, chest, and back, often soaking the clothes and bedding.

Itch: About 10% of lymphoma patients will experience skin itching, which initially manifests as local skin itching and gradually develops into systemic skin itching.

Fatigue: Lymphoma patients may also experience symptoms of fatigue and weakness in the early stages. If persistent fatigue and weakness occur and no other causes can be found, the possibility of lymphoma should also be considered.

Does swollen lymph nodes mean lymphoma?

Not necessarily. Swollen lymph nodes are not necessarily lymphoma, but lymphoma is often accompanied by swollen lymph nodes.

There are many causes of swollen lymph nodes, including infection, tumors, and autoimmune diseases. The most common of these is infection (including bacterial infection, viral infection, and lymph node tuberculosis), followed by lymph node metastasis of solid tumors (such as lung cancer, esophageal cancer, intestinal cancer, etc.), and the rest are lymph node enlargement caused by lymphatic hematopoietic system diseases (malignant lymphoma, plasma cell tumors, etc.).

How can we initially determine whether our swollen lymph nodes are caused by lymphoma or infection?

Swelling experts summarized five key points:

1) Painless lymph nodes: Swollen lymph nodes caused by lymphoma do not cause any other sensory discomfort in the early stages, while swollen lymph nodes caused by inflammation are often accompanied by pain, redness of the skin, and a high temperature when touched;

2) Persistence: Swollen lymph nodes will persist for a long time and will not disappear after anti-inflammatory treatment;

3) Gradually growing: If you find that the superficial painless lymph nodes are enlarged in a short period of time, you must pay great attention to it;

4) Lymph node volume: If you touch a lymph node and find that its long and short diameters are quite different, and it appears to be equal in size and round, and there is no pain, you should be highly alert to lymphoma. Enlarged lymph nodes caused by inflammation are mostly long and narrow in shape.

5) Lymph nodes are tough: The enlarged lymph nodes caused by lymphoma are very tough, and the touch feels almost the same as touching the tip of the nose, while the enlarged lymph nodes caused by inflammation feel similar to the softness of touching the lips. Lymph nodes with a harder texture are more common in lymph node metastasis caused by solid tumors.

Therefore, if you find that your lymph nodes are persistent, progressively enlarged, and painless, you must promptly visit a specialist hospital with experience in diagnosing and treating lymphoma.

Can lymphoma be cured ? Does it require surgery ?

According to statistics, in the history of modern tumor treatment, lymphoma is the first malignant tumor to be cured through radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the first tumor to significantly improve the cure rate through targeted drugs. It is also one of the very few malignant tumors with the highest cure rate. For Hodgkin's lymphoma, the cure rate can now reach 80%-90%. As for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, because it is divided into dozens of types, the cure rate of different types is different. But in general, the cure rate is now close to 50%. It is currently the best type of all malignant tumors.

Because lymphocytes are distributed throughout the body, lymphoma can spread throughout the body, so surgery alone cannot cure lymphoma. Surgery is only performed when lymphoma is confirmed and tissue needs to be removed for pathological biopsy and when symptoms of tumor compression need to be relieved.

Treatments for lymphoma include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The treatment of lymphoma often requires a combination of multiple methods, and the specific treatment method or methods to be used depends on the patient and disease factors.

Nowadays, with the emergence of more and more new targeted drugs and Car-T cells, the treatment effect of lymphoma is getting better and better. Most Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured through chemotherapy alone. Although the treatment effect of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not as good as that of Hodgkin lymphoma, some non-Hodgkin lymphoma can also be cured. Through standardized early diagnosis and early treatment, lymphoma patients can achieve long-term survival.

How can I avoid lymphoma?

If you want to fight lymphoma, the most important thing is to understand it and pay attention to prevention in daily life.

In terms of diet, eat less junk food.

In terms of work and rest, try to go to bed early and get up early, develop good living habits, do not smoke, do not drink, do not dye your hair, and have less contact with organic solvents.

In terms of exercise, strengthen your physical fitness and enhance your immunity.

In terms of mentality, face life positively and believe that only by treating our own bodies well will life treat you well.

For young people who are under great pressure, they should take adequate rest while working hard, exercise to improve their resistance, avoid overwork, and prevent lymphoma from taking advantage of the opportunity, so that they can be the spokesperson for health.

Finally, physical examination is also very important. If the six warning signs mentioned above appear in your body, it is recommended to consult a specialist as soon as possible for timely examination. As long as early detection + accurate classification + standardized treatment are achieved, the chance of cure is greater!