Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that occurs when B or T lymphocytes, the white blood cells that form a part of the immune system and help protect the body from infection and disease, begin behaving abnormally. Abnormal lymphocytes may divide faster than normal cells or they may live longer than they are supposed to. Lymphoma may develop in many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood or other organs and eventually they form a mass of cells called a tumor. Tumors grow and invade the space of surrounding tissues and organs, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients.
There are two main types of lymphoma:
Biologic Therapy
This treatment increases your body's natural ability to fight cancer. It does this by giving a boost to your immune system.There are several kinds of biologic therapy:
Radiation Therapy
This treatment uses radiation (high energy x-rays) to kill cancer cells.The treatment often only takes place in the part of your body where the lymphoma is located.
Transplants
Sometimes high doses of chemotherapy destroy the lymphoma cells and your bone marrow, which is the "factory" for blood cells. To help your bone marrow make new healthy blood cells, some stem cells (immature cells that will grow up into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) may be taken with a special machine before chemotherapy is given.
These cells are then transplanted (put back) into the body. These transplanted cells will then find their way to the bone marrow and restore it, so that it can build healthy new blood cells.
There are two types of transplants:
Watchful Waiting
This means that you do not have to get any active treatment now. But, you may need to get treatments later, if tests show that your cancer is growing. Watchful waiting is usually recommended only for people with slow-growing lymphomas.
Rituximab
Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20, which is primarily found on the surface of B cells. Rituximab destroys B cells, and is therefore used to treat diseases which are characterized by excessive numbers of B cells, overactive B cells, or dysfunctional B cells. This includes many lymphomas, leukemias, transplant rejection and autoimmune disorders.
Nutrition and Supplement
thank you all who took time off to visit dad at the hospital for the past 5-6 days and earlier this afternoon. all the gifts, advice and help offered are very much appreciated.
did not manage to snap pictures of all the food and fruits that were given but still, thank you all!
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that occurs when B or T lymphocytes, the white blood cells that form a part of the immune system and help protect the body from infection and disease, begin behaving abnormally. Abnormal lymphocytes may divide faster than normal cells or they may live longer than they are supposed to. Lymphoma may develop in many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood or other organs and eventually they form a mass of cells called a tumor. Tumors grow and invade the space of surrounding tissues and organs, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients.
There are two main types of lymphoma:
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): This type of lymphoma is most common in middle aged or elderly people. NHL can occur in lymph nodes and/or other organs that contain lymph tissue. The cancer may be located in one place in your body, but often, it is located in multiple areas throughout the body.This is because cancerous ("malignant") lymphocytes often circulate throughout your body, just like normal lymphocytes. NHL can be either "B-cell lymphoma" or "T-cell lymphoma," depending on which type of lymphocyte becomes cancerous.There are over 40 different types of NHL. Some types of NHL grow very quickly. Other types grow more slowly.
- Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL): This type of lymphoma is most common in young adults.The cancerous ("malignant") lymph nodes contain a particular type of malignant lymphocyte, which is known as a Reed-Sternberg cell.
- Lymphadenopathy or swelling of lymph nodes - It is the primary presentation in lymphoma.
- B Symptoms - Can be associated with both Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It consists of fever, night sweats, weight loss.
- Other Symptoms : loss of appetite or anorexia, fatigue, respiratory distress or dyspnoea, itching.
Biologic Therapy
This treatment increases your body's natural ability to fight cancer. It does this by giving a boost to your immune system.There are several kinds of biologic therapy:
- Monoclonal Antibodies: These are drugs like Rituxan®, which directly target lymphoma cells and do not harm normal cells.These drugs are sometimes called "smart drugs" or "guided missiles" because they know exactly where to go in your body.
- Radioimmunotherapy: These are therapies like Rituxan®, which have a radioisotope attached to them.These "guided missiles" are able to destroy cancer cells because they attach to the lymphoma and deliver small doses of medicine to the cells.
- Interleukin 2: This is a medicine that activates the immune system so that it can kill cancer cells.
- Vaccines: These are treatments that help the body protect itself against the lymphoma.
Radiation Therapy
This treatment uses radiation (high energy x-rays) to kill cancer cells.The treatment often only takes place in the part of your body where the lymphoma is located.
Transplants
Sometimes high doses of chemotherapy destroy the lymphoma cells and your bone marrow, which is the "factory" for blood cells. To help your bone marrow make new healthy blood cells, some stem cells (immature cells that will grow up into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) may be taken with a special machine before chemotherapy is given.
These cells are then transplanted (put back) into the body. These transplanted cells will then find their way to the bone marrow and restore it, so that it can build healthy new blood cells.
There are two types of transplants:
- Autologous transplants- this uses your own bone marrow or stem cells.
- Allogeneic transplants- this uses bone marrow or stem cells from a donor (someone else, often a brother or sister).
Watchful Waiting
This means that you do not have to get any active treatment now. But, you may need to get treatments later, if tests show that your cancer is growing. Watchful waiting is usually recommended only for people with slow-growing lymphomas.
Rituximab
Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20, which is primarily found on the surface of B cells. Rituximab destroys B cells, and is therefore used to treat diseases which are characterized by excessive numbers of B cells, overactive B cells, or dysfunctional B cells. This includes many lymphomas, leukemias, transplant rejection and autoimmune disorders.
Nutrition and Supplement
- Try to eliminate potential food allergens, including dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, soy, preservatives, and food additives. Your health care provider may want to test for food sensitivities.
- Eat antioxidant foods, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes) and vegetables (such as kale, spinach, and peppers).
- Avoid refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and sugar.
- Eat cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower).
- Use healthy oils in foods, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids, found in such commercially baked goods as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
- Avoid coffee and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Drink 6 - 8 glasses of filtered water daily.
- Exercise lightly, if possible.
thank you all who took time off to visit dad at the hospital for the past 5-6 days and earlier this afternoon. all the gifts, advice and help offered are very much appreciated.
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| hamper from management & staff of tanglin club |
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| cordyceps, strawberries and grapes from boss mary |
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| fruits basket from tanglin club boss |
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| lingzhi and cordyceps from cousin jennifer |